A fresh political controversy has erupted in the CMRL-Exalogic monthly payment case after BJP Keralam vice president Adv. Shon George claimed that the names of current Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, Chief Minister V.D. Satheeshan and other Congress leaders appear in the diary of former CMRL Managing Director S.N. Sasidharan Kartha.
The BJP leader questioned how Chennithala could order an inquiry into a case in which, he claimed, his own name appears in the diary, and challenged the Keralam Government to hand over the investigation to the CBI.
George made the remarks on September 24, shortly after the Keralam Government decided to conduct a preliminary Crime Branch inquiry, without registering an FIR at this stage, into the CMRL-Exalogic case involving former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena Vijayan and former minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas. Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala had instructed State Police Chief Ravada A. Chandrasekhar to proceed with the preliminary investigation.
George alleged that the names of Ramesh Chennithala, V.D. Satheeshan, P.K. Kunjalikkutty and Shibu Baby John are recorded in the diary and demanded that they resign from their positions. He released copies of the relevant diary pages on social media to substantiate his claim and said the pages formed part of the charge sheet submitted by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO).
The BJP leader alleged that the CMRL payment issue was a “joint venture” between the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), describing them as two sides of the same fake coin. He challenged the government to hand over the entire case to the CBI if it had nothing to hide.
The claims come against the backdrop of an earlier ED investigation in which a diary seized from the residence of CMRL Chief General Manager K.S. Sureshkumar emerged as an important piece of evidence.
As per reports, the diary contained acronyms corresponding to political leaders, including RC for Ramesh Chennithala, KK for P.K. Kunjalikkutty, PV for Pinarayi Vijayan, OC for Oommen Chandy and IK for Ibrahimkunju.
According to the report, Sureshkumar had reportedly told investigators during questioning in 2024 that the money was handed over on the instructions of CMRL Managing Director S.N. Sasidharan Kartha. He reportedly said the political leaders did not personally collect the money and that their representatives received it. These are allegations and reported statements forming part of the ongoing investigation.
George said several persons and organisations had received money from CMRL and argued that the issue becomes more serious when those allegedly receiving payments were people in positions of political influence. He pointed out that both Chennithala and Satheeshan had served as MLAs for years.
He alleged that Satheeshan, who has projected himself as a “Green” MLA, received money from a company accused of disposing of industrial waste into a river.
George further questioned whether the Chief Minister would be examined by the Special Investigation Team and alleged that the present inquiry could result in evidence being erased or destroyed.
These allegations have not been established by a court. The diary entries and the identities represented by the initials remain matters for investigation and forensic verification.
The CMRL-Exalogic case had already expanded beyond Veena Vijayan and Exalogic after the ED submitted its findings to the State Police Chief seeking registration of cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The ED had alleged that Pinarayi Vijayan received Rs 3.28 crore from CMRL through Veena Vijayan, while its investigation also examined the alleged role of Mohammed Riyas.
The underlying case concerns payments of about Rs 2.78 crore made by CMRL to Veena Vijayan’s company Exalogic Solutions between 2017 and 2020.
The SFIO and ED have alleged that the payments were made under the guise of IT consultancy services despite corresponding services allegedly not being rendered.
The ED has also investigated a Rs 50 lakh loan extended to Exalogic by a company operated by CMRL Managing Director S.N. Sasidharan Kartha.
The investigation subsequently widened after ED searches in May and August 2026. The agency reported finding handwritten accounts involving about Rs 20.05 crore and Dubai-linked transactions worth AED 3.49 lakh, besides evidence it said pointed to hawala transactions.
On September 20, the State Advocate General K. Jaju Babu reportedly advised that a case could be registered if the ED’s communication contained sufficient evidence. The advice also indicated that a preliminary inquiry could precede an FIR.
The Keralam Government subsequently opted for a preliminary Crime Branch inquiry rather than immediately registering an FIR. Reports on September 24 said the investigation team was likely to be headed by a Crime Branch ADGP and could seek the ED’s case details, including material relating to the alleged hawala transactions.
Meanwhile, former minister and prominent CPM leader K.T. Jaleel has raised another question concerning the diary. In a social media post, he asked the Indian Union Muslim League to clarify the identity of the person referred to as “Thangal” in the CMRL diary as a recipient of a payment.
Jaleel referred to three prominent Muslim leaders who use the title “Thangal”: Jibri Muthukkoya Thangal, president of Samastha Kerala Jem-Iyyathul Ulama; Khaleel Thangal, president of Kerala Muslim Jamaath; and Indian Union Muslim League president Panakkad Sadiq Ali Thangal. He asked the IUML to clarify whom the diary reference concerned.
BJP Keralam president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has also demanded registration of an FIR against Chief Minister V.D. Satheeshan. He alleged that there was “match fixing” between the Congress and CPM and claimed that Satheeshan and Chennithala were attempting to undermine the case to protect Pinarayi Vijayan and others.
The latest allegations have therefore widened the political fallout of the CMRL-Exalogic case: while the original investigation centred on payments to Veena Vijayan and alleged financial links involving Pinarayi Vijayan and Mohammed Riyas, the reported diary entries have brought names of leaders from both the LDF and UDF into the political debate. The authenticity, interpretation and evidentiary value of the diary entries are now crucial questions for the investigating agencies.
