Key political names are emerging in the ongoing investigation into the CMRL-Exalogic case, with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) reportedly likely to recommend the registration of cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and Industries & Commerce Minister P.K. Kunjalikkutty. Their names, along with those of Pinarayi Vijayan, Oommen Chandy and Ibrahimkunju, reportedly emerged from a diary seized during the investigation.
The team had seized a diary from the residence of K.S. Sureshkumar, the CMRL Chief General Manager. It contains acronyms of the names of some VIP political leaders and is said to be a list of payments made to political leaders.
There were reports that Sureshkumar had given the actual names of those leaders during detailed interrogation in 2024. He reportedly stated that RC was Ramesh Chennithala, KK was P.K. Kunjalikkutty, PV was Pinarayi Vijayan, OC was Oommen Chandy and IK was Ibrahimkunju. There was also MG, stated to be A. Govindan, though his identity remains unknown.
Sureshkumar had reportedly stated during the interrogation that he handed over the money on the instructions of CMRL’s MD S.N. Sasidharan Kartha. He also said that the political leaders had not collected the money in person and that their representatives collected it. The handwriting in the diary is now set to undergo forensic tests.
The ED’s latest probe also focuses on alleged transactions involving Veena Vijayan and her husband and former minister Mohammed Riyas. When the ED wrote to the State Police Chief demanding the registration of a case against Veena Vijayan in connection with the alleged hawala transactions, it pointed to scribblings in the diary, details of the transactions and WhatsApp chats as evidence.
The ED alleged that hawala and money transactions abroad had taken place between July 2024 and July 2025. It has also levelled serious allegations against Mohammed Riyas.
The documents reportedly showed that Rs 85 lakhs were transferred to V.P. Faijas in Dubai. It has been recorded that Rs 3.49 lakhs was received by Faijaz.
The ED team has also raised serious allegations regarding Veena’s four Dubai tours in 2024. The ED’s letter to the State Police Chief is reported to contain serious allegations. It says Veena did not have her own income in 2024 and that she was living with Mohammed Riyas in the minister’s bungalow. The ED alleged that the big amounts mentioned in the diary belonged to Mohammed Riyas.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that the ED may recommend registering cases against current Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala (Congress) and Industries and Commerce Minister P.K. Kunjalikkutty (Indian Union Muslim League), whose names were scribbled in the seized diary during the investigation.
Since former Congress Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and former Industries Minister Ibrahimkunju are no more, a criminal case will not stand against them. The move is linked to the crucial evidence obtained during the investigation.
The latest reports state that the ED is likely to issue the first-phase charge sheet in the CMRL-Exalogic case soon. Prior to this, two auditors of those days were interrogated on September 14. Officials of CMRL’s finance department are scheduled to be interrogated on September 15 and 16. General Manager Manohardas has been summoned to appear for interrogation on September 15.
The investigation into the monthly payments remains centred around CMRL. Present officials and officials from the period of the mysterious money transactions are undergoing interrogation. The charge sheet is likely to be drafted after completing the interrogations this week.
Twelve persons, including Veena Vijayan, are reported to be accused. Veena, CMRL head Sasidharan Kartha, CMRL’s Managing Director Sharan S. Kartha, former CFO and former Chief GM have been interrogated several times.
Even after the charge sheet is issued, parallel enquiries are likely to continue against Pinarayi Vijayan and Mohammed Riyas.
