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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Four CPI(M) workers were arrested connected Wednesday nighttime for allegedly attacking a conveyance carrying Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials during protests extracurricular the residence of erstwhile Kerala main curate Pinarayi Vijayan successful Thiruvananthapuram.According to police, 12 radical had been identified for their alleged engagement successful the onslaught connected ED officials, portion hunt operations were continuing and much arrests were likely.The protests erupted aft the ED carried retired searches astatine 10 locations crossed Kerala successful transportation with the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) case, according to quality bureau ANI.
The searches were conducted astatine aggregate locations, including Vijayan’s rented residence successful Thiruvananthapuram, his location successful Kannur and offices linked to the case.
Raids were besides carried retired astatine the residence of CMRL Managing Director Sasidharan Kartha and astatine the Kozhikode residence of erstwhile curate Mohammed Riyas. Reacting to the ED action, Vijayan alleged that the raids were portion of a “targeted attack” against absorption leaders successful the country. Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal criticised the Centre implicit the ED searches. In a station connected X, Kejriwal said the raid against Vijayan was “yet different blatant misuse of cardinal agencies by the BJP to people determination absorption parties and undermine democracy.”
He further claimed that the timing of the ED action, aft Congress had raised concerns implicit “inaction”, raised questions astir the BJP-Congress relationship. The ED enactment follows a Kerala High Court bid allowing the bureau to proceed its probe successful the case. The tribunal had earlier dismissed petitions seeking to halt the probe and rejected requests for much clip to attack a higher court. During the hearing, the ED argued that proceedings nether the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) could proceed adjacent without a anterior FIR.
The bureau besides informed the tribunal that the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) had already filed a ailment successful April 2025. The ED probe began aft findings by the SFIO allegedly showed that payments worthy lakhs of rupees were made to a institution owned by Veena Vijayan for services that were allegedly not provided. After receiving summons and facing searches, institution officials approached the court, alleging harassment during questioning and claiming determination was nary grounds to warrant an ED investigation. The transactions had earlier travel nether scrutiny pursuing observations by the Interim Board for Settlement of the Income Tax Department, which questioned whether they could beryllium treated arsenic morganatic concern expenses. Following those findings, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs ordered an SFIO probe successful January 2024. The ED aboriginal issued summons to CMRL officials successful April 2024, aft which the institution challenged the agency’s enactment successful court.
