Kerala CM Vijayan's daughter Veena T quizzed by SFIO over money received from controversial mining firm

Thiruvananthapuram: The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs has reportedly quizzed Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter Veena T in connection with the huge amounts she received from a controversial mining firm.

Veena was reportedly summoned by the SIFO to their Chennai office last week and sought details regarding the payments to the tune of Rs. 1.72 crore she received from Kochi-based Cochin Minerals and Rutiles Limited, which faces allegations of illegally mining mineral rich sand from the coastal areas of the state.

The Chief Minister had earlier justified that the payments were part of the services rendered by Bengaluru-based firm Exalogic Solutions run by his daughter. But the opposition Congress alleged that the payments were bribery for allowing illegal mineral sand mining.

Reacting to the fresh developments, Veena's husband and state public works minister Mohammed Riyas reiterated the CPM's stand that the central agency's move was part of the BJP government's political moves against opposition parties.

He also said that the Congress's allegation of CPM-BJP understanding to sabotage probes against the Kerala Chief Minister have been disproved with the SIFO's fresh moves.

The Income Tax interim settlement board had initially pointed out the shady deals of the Chief Minister's daughter with the mining firm.

A preliminary inquiry report of the Bengaluru Registrar of Companies had also found that Exalogic Solutions failed to provide documents to support the claim that the money was paid for services rendered. Subsequently the ministry ordered SIFO's probe.