Notices have been issued to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his daughter

Kochi:

The Kerala High Court today directed that notices be sent to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his daughter T Veena in a petition by Congress legislator Mathew Kuzhalnadan, accusing them of corruption.

On Tuesday, the Director General of Prosecution questioned the petition, but the court, after hearing both the sides, directed notices to be sent to Chief Minister Vijayan and Veena and posted the case for July 2.

Speaking to the media, Mathew Kuzhalnadan said, “This is a normal procedure and now the case will be heard in detail and we will wait for that.”

Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan said the Congress was strongly behind Mathew Kuzhalnadan’s legal fight.

Mathew Kuzhalnadan approached the high court after a vigilance court rejected his plea seeking a court-monitored probe into the allegations of corruption against the Chief Minister and his daughter.

He had sought a probe by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Department into the allegations that Veena Vijayan’s IT firm Exalogic got monthly gratification from a Kochi-based mining firm, Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL), for mining sanctions.

Several agencies, including the ED, SFIO and Income Tax Department, have recorded the statements of many people, except T Veena in the case. The case was highlighted by the Congress leader last year based on an Income Tax Settlement Board statement which pointed out that Exalogic received Rs 1.72 crore from CMRL.

A similar petition was earlier filed by a Kochi resident on alleged corruption by Chief Minister Vijayan, but the petitioner died.

Following this, the High Court appointed an amicus curiae. The court today said both petitions, though similar in nature, would be heard separately.

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