New Delhi, 27 May (H.S.): Workers of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a protest on Wednesday outside the Enforcement Directorate’s headquarters in Delhi. The demonstration opposed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on the residence of Kerala’s former Chief Minister and current Leader of the Opposition, Pinarayi Vijayan.

Protesters were later taken into custody by the police. CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, who participated in the demonstration, said that the Delhi Police prevented a peaceful protest led by CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby outside the ED headquarters against what the party described as a targeted attack on Polit Bureau member and Opposition leader Comrade Pinarayi Vijayan. She alleged that police mistreated party leaders and workers.

It is notable that the Enforcement Directorate conducted raids on Wednesday at the former Chief Minister’s residence in the early hours and at 12 other locations in an alleged money‑laundering case. The raids are linked to the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) matter.

The ED is taking action in the case against the former Kerala Chief Minister and his daughter.

Searches were carried out at 12 premises. The operation follows the Kerala High Court’s refusal to quash the ED’s investigation in the CMRL case. The allegation is that funds were routed from CMRL to various individuals under the pretext of expenditures.

The action is said to be connected to alleged monthly payments to Exalogic Solutions, a company owned by his daughter T. Veena. It is alleged that between 2017 and 2021 a private mining company made substantial monthly payments to the company without any concrete services rendered.

On the matter, Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal said that the ED raid on former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is evidence that the central government is misusing central investigative agencies to target opposition parties and weaken democracy.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar