CMRL-Exalogic payoff case: Ex-Keralam CM Pinarayi Vijayan to skip questioning by ED on October 23

Keralam’s Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will not appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Kochi for questioning in connection with the money-laundering case linked to the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL)-Exalogic pay-off case on Friday (October 23, 2026.)

The central agency had issued him a summons last week asking him to appear at its zonal office in Kochi around 11 a.m for interrogation. The ED had earlier registered two Enforcement Case Information Reports (ECIRs) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Mr. Vijayan, T. Veena, his daughter and owner of the now-defunct company Exalogic Solutions, and his son-in-law and former Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas in the case.

The counsel for Mr. Vijayan informed the ED officials in Kochi that he will not appear for questioning as the Supreme Court had on Wednesday stayed, for seven days, a Kerala Police investigation into a First Information Report (FIR) registered against him, Ms. Veena and Mr. Riyas in the payoff case.

A Single Judge Bench of the Kerala High Court had earlier directed the State Police to register the FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against the three of them. The direction was on the basis of the information given by the ED to the Kerala Police under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

Mr. Vijayan has also cited the apex court order permitting him and the other two petitioners to file an appeal before the Division Bench of the Kerala High Court against the Single Bench order on October 9. A Special Bench of the apex court comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana had given them the liberty to challenge the ECIR filed by the ED before the appropriate forum in accordance with the law.