“It is subject to strong criticism even from Hon’ble courts. The main reason for this is the illegal actions it has taken. When examining the Karuvannur case, such issues can be clearly seen,” the Chief Minister told reporters, responding to a query on the ED’s action against the party and its leaders.
Reacting sharply to the ED’s case against senior party leaders like K Radhakrishnan MP, he said that there are “certain symbols” (reputed public figures, known for their honesty) in the state which should not be maligned by filing cases.
“Some are trying to tarnish their reputation, and it appears that the ED has decided to side with them. You all know the prominent CPI(M) leaders who have been named. They truly embody a corruption-free public life,” Vijayan said.
He said the case would be fought legally.
Vijayan also criticised the ED for naming the CPI(M) district unit in the chargesheet, stating that there had been court interventions in such cases and that the ED had faced criticism for its actions.
“Still, the agency has named the party in the case,” he alleged.
On May 26, the ED named the CPI(M) Thrissur district committee and several party workers and leaders as accused in a fresh charge sheet filed in the Karuvannur Service Cooperative Bank scam case.
The ED has named a total of 28 entities and individuals in its first supplementary charge sheet filed in this case. Those arraigned include the CPI(M) Thrissur district committee, party MP Radhakrishnan, MLA, A C Moideen, and others.
With this charge sheet, the total number of accused in the case has risen to 83, according to sources. There were 55 accused in the first charge sheet filed in 2023.
The money laundering probe stems from at least 16 FIRs registered by the Kerala police crime branch in Thrissur in July 2021, regarding alleged financial irregularities in the CPI(M)-controlled bank, amounting to Rs 150 crore.
The agency has claimed that the total proceeds of crime in this case amount to about Rs 300 crore, sources added. PTI TGB TGB VGN
