Kerala’s Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has registered two separate cases over the financial dealings between Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) and Exalogic Solutions, The Hindu reported on 12 October 2026. The cases name former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena and former minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas. These are allegations; none has been proved.
Quick Facts
| Agency | Kerala Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) |
| FIRs | Two |
| Named | Pinarayi Vijayan (one FIR), T. Veena (both), P.A. Mohamed Riyas (both) |
| Trigger | A Kerala High Court direction to register cases |
| Next step | A Division Bench has admitted the accused’s appeals |
What the FIRs Allege
Officials said Vijayan is in the first FIR, which concerns alleged corruption and payments by CMRL to Exalogic Solutions, a now-defunct IT company owned by Veena. The allegations concern possible misuse of public office, receipt of an improper financial benefit and criminal conspiracy.
The second FIR lists Riyas as first accused and also names Veena. It concerns alleged hawala transactions and the transfer of funds abroad through intermediaries.
How the Case Reached This Point
The transactions first came under scrutiny through the Income Tax Department and then the Enforcement Directorate. The ED acted on an August 2023 report of the Income Tax Interim Settlement Board stating that Veena and her company had received ₹1.72 crore as monthly payments from CMRL with no evidence of services given in return. The payments are alleged to have run from 2017 to 2021.
A petition challenged the state government’s decision to hold a Crime Branch preliminary inquiry instead of registering an FIR straight away on information from the ED. The ED had sent the State Police Chief a communication under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. A Single Bench of the High Court then directed that an FIR, including offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, be registered and that the ED hand its documents to the VACB director. The ED had told the court it found a predicate offence and produced it in a sealed cover.
The Appeal
The Division Bench of Justices K. Natarajan and Johnson John admitted the petitions of Vijayan, Veena and Riyas. They want the Single Bench judgment and the steps arising from it, including the FIR, stayed until their appeals are decided. They argue they were not given a chance to be heard even though the judgment directly concerned them, and that the Single Bench erred in finding that no further inquiry was needed.
The Hindu’s reports did not carry a response from the accused on the merits of the allegations. Vijayan is now the Leader of the Opposition in Kerala.
Featured image: Pinarayi Vijayan, March 2018 (file photo). Photo by Sanu N, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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