Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 9 — The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has widened its probe into the alleged attack on its officials during a search operation at the private residence of Kerala Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan by registering a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), bringing the CPI(M) and its leaders under fresh scrutiny.
The central agency suspects that the attack may have involved a financial trail and plans to include all those named in the attempt-to-murder case registered by the Kerala Police and the Crime Branch in its PMLA investigation.
According to sources, the ED is examining whether individuals were mobilised for the attack using funds allegedly received from persons or companies under investigation. It will also probe whether any financial assistance was provided to the accused and whether such transactions constitute proceeds of crime under the anti-money laundering law.
The agency is further expected to investigate the alleged conspiracy behind the incident, including the role of political leaders who were present at the spot. Invoking the PMLA in a case linked to an alleged attack on officials is considered an unusual step and is likely to significantly widen the scope of the investigation.
The move comes as the police prepare to file the first charge sheet in the case. The investigation team led by Cantonment ACP Jayachandran has named 28 CPI(M), DYFI and SFI functionaries as accused. However, reports suggest that the initial charge sheet does not extensively address the alleged political conspiracy behind the incident.
The incident dates back to the last week of May, when an ED team arrived at Vijayan's residence as part of its probe into the monthly-payment case involving his daughter, T. Veena. The officials were allegedly attacked and their vehicle damaged after party activists gathered outside the residence to obstruct the search operation.
The latest development also comes amid the ED's earlier demand for action under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Vijayan, Veena and former minister Mohammed Riyas in connection with the monthly-payment case. The agency had alleged that payments worth several crores were made by CMRL.
With the ED pursuing both the monthly-payment allegations and the alleged attack on its officials, the CPI(M) is now facing scrutiny on two parallel fronts.