Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
Credit: PTI file photo
The BJP on Thursday claimed that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan could face investigation on corruption charges over the alleged "indictment" of her daughter Veena Vijayan's firm for receiving Rs 1.7 crore from Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) without providing any service.
BJP national spokesperson Tom Vadakkan dubbed it as 'Veena Tax' in a statement, alleging that she received a total of Rs 1.72 crore in monthly instalments from the private company for the last three years.
"The New Delhi bench of the Income Tax Interim Settlement Board ruled that the money was given considering the relationship with a 'prominent person'. Veena and her company, Exalogic Solutions, had agreed to supply CMRL with IT, marketing consulting, and software services," Vadakkan, who is from Kerala, said.
However, the income tax examination discovered that no services were provided, he said.
CMRL Managing Director S N Sasidharan Kartha said the money was paid in monthly instalments as per the contract, he added.
"The Income Tax Department alleged that Veena and Exalogic received Rs 1.72 crore during 2017-20, which is an 'illegal transaction'. The Income Tax Department has been able to demonstrate with the help of convincing evidence that the money was paid for services that were not provided, according to a settlement board," the BJP leader said.
Given the nature of these allegations and the questions raised by the Income Tax Department, it is of the utmost importance that the matter be investigated, he said.
An enquiry by central investigative agencies to determine the basis of these suspicious transactions is essential, Vadakkan added.
Documents seized from the residence of CMRL's chief financial officer K S Suresh Kumar, who worked with the company for 27 years, and his subsequent statement revealed that prominent politicians from the Congress, Muslim League and the CPI(M) were "recipients of cash" running into Rs 95 crore, he claimed.