5 days ago
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The Kerala High Court connected Friday (June 5, 2026) dismissed an entreaty filed by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) against a single-judge verdict allowing the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to proceed its money-laundering probe into the mining company’s fiscal dealings with T. Veena, girl of erstwhile Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan and Justice K V Jayakumar upheld the single-judge bid of May 26 saying it finds nary crushed to interfere with that judgment.
The High Court besides declined the petition by the lawyer for CMRL to support it for 2 weeks truthful that it tin determination an entreaty earlier the Supreme Court.
While dismissing the company’s appeal, the Bench said, “Non-registration of an FIR oregon non-filing of a ailment successful respect of scheduled offence volition not barroom the ED from initiating civilian enactment nether the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
“Registration of a scheduled offence is simply a pre-requisite lone for a transgression prosecution and not for civilian enactment oregon for workout of enquiry powers nether the Act.” The tribunal besides rejected the company’s plea to quash the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) registered by the ED.
The May 26 single-judge verdict had held that the ED could proceed with its probe nether the PMLA adjacent earlier the Serious Fraud Investigation Office filed a ceremonial FIR oregon last report.
Following the single-judge order, the ED connected May 27 conducted searches astatine the residences of Mr. Vijayan and others arsenic portion of its probe into the CMRL money-laundering lawsuit involving his daughter.
The lawsuit stems from Income Tax searches conducted astatine the company’s offices and the residences of its elder executives successful January 2019. It was aboriginal investigated by the SFIO pursuing a ailment filed by BJP person Shone George.
