Kochi, 26 Oct (H.S.): The Kerala High Court will on Monday reconsider appeals filed by Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan and others against an order directing a Vigilance investigation into alleged financial dealings between Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) and Exalogic Solutions.

A division bench comprising Justices K. Natarajan and Johnson John will hear the matter following a Supreme Court direction to reconsider Vijayan’s appeal. The appellants want the single bench’s order set aside in its entirety.

Besides Vijayan, the appellants include his daughter T. Veena, her husband and former minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas, and others named in the proceedings.

The single bench had directed the registration of an FIR and an investigation based on a communication from the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Challenging that decision, Vijayan and Veena argued that the order had been issued without hearing their side.

They initially approached a division bench, which dismissed their challenge. Vijayan, Veena and Riyas subsequently moved the Supreme Court seeking relief against the High Court proceedings.

The Supreme Court stayed the single bench’s order for a week and directed the High Court to hear Vijayan’s appeal afresh. The Vigilance investigation has also been halted for 10 days. The petitioners submitted the apex court’s order before the High Court ahead of the renewed hearing.

The case concerns payments allegedly made by CMRL to Veena and her company, Exalogic Solutions, between 2017 and 2019.

According to the ED, CMRL paid Exalogic more than Rs 3 lakh a month under a service agreement during this period. The agency also alleged that Veena separately received payments towards information technology and marketing consultancy services.

The transactions under scrutiny totalled Rs 3.28 crore, according to the agency’s findings cited in the proceedings.

Acting on the ED’s communication, Vigilance registered two FIRs. Those cases form the backdrop to the appellants’ continuing legal challenge.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman