VD Satheesan (File) | Photo Credit: thulasi kakkat
Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan has rejected Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement that the Serious Fraud Investigation Organisation (SFIO) case against the latter’s daughter and software entrepreneur T. Veena was politically motivated.
Speaking to reporters at Kodanad in Ernakulam on Thursday, Mr Satheesan said the SFIO case against Ms Veena originated from a filing by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited, a private firm, before the Income Tax department’s Interim Settlement Board in New Delhi.
He said the CMRL had moved the forum for claiming input tax credits for payments made to various persons and entities, including Ms Veena’s now-defunct IT consultancy firm, Exalogic Solutions Limited.
Mr Satheesan said the IT forum found the CMRL’s deposition unconvincing. The forum doubted whether the fee to Ms Veena’s firm was under-the-table backhanders for political favour.
(Ms Veena’s counsel has denied the imputation and said the board denied her a hearing before reaching a questionable conclusion).
Subsequently, Mr Satheesan said the Union Ministry for Commerce ordered an SFIO investigation based on the board’s findings.
He said the SFIO’s chargesheet against Ms Veena had laid the legal grounds for an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on money-laundering charges.
Mr Satheesan said that Mr Vijayan had incorrectly blamed the Opposition and the independent media for the SFIO case against Ms Veena. He stated that the public did not find Mr Vijayan’s position politically convincing.
Seeks CM’s resignation
Mr Satheesan said the Opposition would use the corruption charge to make a political case for Mr Vijayan’s resignation.
Meanwhile, in Pathanamthitta district, Youth Congress workers besieged the District Collectorate, demanding the Chief Minister’s resignation.
Kcc rejig
Mr Satheesan hinted that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) would engineer an organisational rejig in the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) ahead of the Assembly elections in 2026.
He said the United Democratic Front (UDF) would wrest back the Nilambur seat in the upcoming Assembly byelection following P V Anvar’s resignation.
He said Mr Anvar, who left the Left Democratic Front (LDF) to join the All India Trinamool Congress, had extended support to the UDF’s candidate in Nilambur bypolls.
“The UDF has not decided who should contest from Nilambur. The AICC will make the final call, given the criticality of the bypoll, widely viewed as a bellwether of Kerala’s voting behaviour ahead of the Assembly elections”, he said.
Published – April 10, 2025 01:39 pm is
