ED coercing people to testify against Pinarayi Vijayan, daughter Veena: Mohamed Riyas
CPI(M) leader P.A. Mohamed Riyas has accused the Enforcement Directorate of coercing witnesses to provide false testimony against him, his wife, and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The allegations stem from an ongoing investigation into the Exalogic-CMRL pay-off case.
Why it matters
The accusations highlight escalating political tensions between the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala and federal investigative agencies, raising questions about the impartiality of state-level anti-corruption probes.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] Keralam State secretariat member P.A. Mohamed Riyas has alleged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is intimidating people to issue statements against him, his wife T. Veena, and her father and Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan.
Addressing a press conference in Kozhikode on Thursday morning, the Beypore MLA claimed that the statements thus procured are then being supplied to the media as official press releases. Mr. Riyas alleged that the ED officials had earlier asked Ms. Veena to give a statement against her father. However, she declined to do so. Mr. Riyas also claimed that the agency had spread wrong information about her testimony in connection with the Exalogic-Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd. (CMRL) pay-off case too.
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