Former Keralam chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan was served ED summons as officials pasted a notice outside his rented residence in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday in connection with the Cochin Mineral and Rutile Limited (CMRL)-Exalogic payoff case.
The leader of opposition in the Keralam cabinet has been asked by the ED to appear at 11 am on October 23, to give evidence and produce records, news agency ANI reported.
Vijayan gets ED summons after FIR
The ED issued the summons on Friday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), following registration of a case linked to a recent FIR by the state police. Vijayan has challenged the Kerala High Court ruling that paved the way for the FIR.
Vijayan was not present at home when officials arrived
Officials cited by PTI said Vijayan was not present at the residence when the officials arrived.
Senior CPI leader V Sivankutty later reached the residence and spoke to the staff.
ALSO READ: SC likely to set up special bench during Dussehra break to hear Vijayan’s plea
Speaking to reporters, he criticised the ED's action, saying Vijayan was in Kannur attending a party conference and was not absconding.
"He went from here to Alappuzha and then to Kannur. After completing a two-day meeting, he will return to Thiruvananthapuram. If they wanted, they could have served the notice directly to him," PTI quoted the former education minister as saying.
ALSO READ: HC rejects Vijayan, others’ pleas to file appeal in CMRL case
He said an ED official had first visited the residence alone in the morning to serve the summons, but had returned when Vijayan was not present.
The official came back later and asked the staff to witness the pasting of the summons, but they refused, Sivankutty claimed.
The ED officials subsequently returned with police personnel and pasted the summons, he added.
"This is a case pending before the Supreme Court. Any action in the matter should be taken only after the Supreme Court delivers its verdict," he argued.
Sivankutty also questioned the decision to paste the summons, saying such a procedure was generally used when a person could not be traced.
"Treating someone who had been the chief minister and now the Leader of the Opposition in this manner is completely unjust, anti-democratic and highly deplorable," he said.
When asked whether Vijayan will appear for questioning, Sivankutty said that it is up to the leader to decide about it.
(With PTI inputs)