KOCHI — The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has reportedly 'intensified' its inquiry into the daughter of a former Chief Minister, focusing on an alleged Rs 2.78 crore payment made by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) to her firm, Exalogic Solutions, for 'IT consultancy services' that apparently lacked any 'deliverables or work output'. This heightened scrutiny follows a recent Kerala High Court order affirming that money laundering investigations do not require a preceding criminal case.

The inquiry, which gained significant momentum shortly after a new UDF government assumed power in Kerala, centers on allegations that the funds were disbursed without any demonstrable work product. A Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) report, filed in court in 2023, previously alleged a 'pivotal role' by the former CM's daughter in facilitating these payments. The Income Tax Department’s 2019 probe into CMRL's finances had earlier uncovered 'loose sheets' detailing cash disbursements, including to 'MD' and 'relatives', with no connection to company operations.

While the SFIO report also highlighted alleged collusion between the former CM's daughter and the then CMRL MD, Sasidharan Kartha, the current political discourse has primarily focused on attributing blame to the former Chief Minister's family. This approach, according to a senior party MP, allows for necessary 'political accountability' while simultaneously ensuring that the broader implications of a state-PSU's stake in CMRL and potential compromise of public funds remain 'secondary to the democratic process.'

Critics, however, suggest that the timing of the ED’s 'intensified' probe, which includes raids and planned summons, appears to be a natural consequence of the High Court's ruling, rather than a tactical maneuver designed to maximize political discomfort for the previous administration. An official spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity, clarified that the agency's actions are purely 'procedural' and entirely divorced from the 'unfortunate coincidences' of electoral cycles or judicial pronouncements.