ED raids at Pinarayi Vijayan's homes in CMRL case trigger political storm in Kerala

The Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) day-long raids at the two residences of former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and the Kozhikode home of PA Mohammed Riyas's parents, has ended amid heightened tensions, reports of violence in Thiruvananathapuram, and massive protests by CPI(M) workers.

CPI(M) workers allegedly damaged two vehicles belonging to the raid team as officials were exiting the premises.

The ED raids, which lasted nearly 7–8 hours across multiple locations in Kerala and Bengaluru, covered residences and offices linked to Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) and individuals under the scanner in the ongoing money laundering probe.

According to officials, no incriminating material was recovered during the searches conducted at locations in Kannur and Kozhikode. However, the ED maintained that the operation was part of a wider evidence-gathering exercise and not limited to immediate recoveries during the searches.

In Thiruvananthapuram, however, the situation turned tense as large groups of CPI(M) workers gathered outside the premises where the search was underway. As the ED team prepared to leave after completing the operation, protests intensified, leading to a situation in which two vehicles of the investigating team were reportedly damaged in the ensuing commotion.

Targeted political attack: CPI (M)

As ED officials continued searches at the residences of Vijayan and Riyas, and offices linked to CMRL and Exalogic in Kochi and Bengaluru, the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala framed the move as a “targeted political attack” on one of the country’s most prominent Opposition leaders.

According to CPI(M) State Committee member P Jayarajan, ED officials gave the caretaker a written note stating that nothing was recovered from Vijayan’s Kannur residence. "NIL incriminating documents or devices has been recovered from the house," read the document shown by the caretaker.

Meanwhile, Riyas’s father, a former district police superintendent, has also been issued a seizure memo stating that no documents or electronic devices were recovered during the search.

CMRL case and ED probe

The agency has said that around 10 premises across Kannur, Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram, and Bengaluru were covered as part of the coordinated operation. Intelligence inputs, according to the ED, indicated that Smt. Veena was residing with her father, former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, at the Thiruvananthapuram residence, which was therefore also included in the search.

Officials further stated that when the search team reached the premises, the former Chief Minister was present at the location. The ED clarified that the operation was conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to collect documentary and digital evidence related to suspected financial transactions.

During the searches, investigators reportedly examined investment records and bank fixed deposit details, which are now being analysed as part of the probe into alleged layering and movement of funds. The agency has indicated that further scrutiny of seized material is underway to trace the flow of money and establish linkages between entities under investigation.

The CMRL case has been a simmering political issue in Kerala. The Kochi-based CMRL came under scrutiny following an Income Tax Department report that alleged its managing director, Sasidharan Kartha, made illegal payments to a wide range of individuals and entities, including politicians, police officials, media organisations, and trade unions, to ensure the smooth functioning of the company’s business operations.

A key element of the report pertains to payments amounting to Rs 1.72 crore allegedly made to a company owned by Vijayan’s daughter, T Veena.

The report suggested that these payments were made under the pretext of providing software services, but claimed that no such services were actually rendered, based on the evidence gathered during the search.

The CPI(M), however, has categorically denied any illegality in the dealings between CMRL and the firm, maintaining that the transactions were legitimate.

Huge protests break out

CPI(M) questions intent, timing

The timing of the raid has become a central point of contention. CPI(M) leaders argue that the raids were deliberately carried out immediately after a High Court order and just ahead of a series of holidays, thereby restricting Vijayan’s ability to seek urgent legal relief.

The party’s state leadership has publicly questioned the intent behind the action, suggesting that the sequence of legal and investigative steps points to a calculated strategy.

According to CPI(M) leaders, while a matter related to Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) remains pending before the Delhi High Court, authorities moved the Kerala High Court to obtain an order allowing the probe to proceed. This, they claim, was done with “clear intent” to accelerate enforcement action at a politically opportune moment.

Also Read: ED searches ex-Kerala CM Pinarayi's home in CMRL money laundering case

In a strongly-worded statement, the CPI(M) denounced the raids, calling them an attempt to intimidate the party and its leadership.

“Such actions will not intimidate Pinarayi Vijayan or the CPI(M),” the statement said, while also raising a pointed question, whether the Congress-led UDF government in the state was complicit in enabling the action.

At the Kozhikode location, Riyas’s parents stepped out and appealed to party workers to allow ED officials to leave, following which the situation eased. Thousands of CPI(M) workers had gathered outside the residences, raising slogans and staging protests.

At the Thiruvananthapuram residence, however, ED officials were yet to exit at the time of reporting, as protesters continued to block the gate and raise slogans.

MK Stalin hits out

'Political revenge'

State committee member P Jayarajan went further, directly linking the raids to what he described as the BJP’s ideological project. He referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s earlier remarks about eliminating “cultural Marxism”, arguing that the action against Vijayan must be viewed in that context. According to Jayarajan, the ED is functioning as an instrument of “political revenge”, deployed to weaken ideological opponents.

Also Read: Kerala: Court rejects plea for vigilance probe against CM Vijayan, his daughter

Adding a personal and political dimension to the response, PA Mohammed Riyas, former Kerala minister and Vijayan’s son-in-law, issued a defiant message on social media amid the ongoing raids. Declaring that he would continue to resist politically, Riyas said he would “fight till his last breath against the Sangh Parivar”, positioning the episode as part of a larger ideological struggle rather than a mere legal dispute.

The political sensitivity of the case has been heightened by the report’s reference to alleged payments involving leaders from multiple parties. Among those named are late former chief minister Oommen Chandy, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, and Indian Union Muslim League leader PK Kunhalikutty, among others.

Selective targeting

It is this aspect that the CPI(M) has seized upon to bolster its charge of selective targeting. Party leaders argue that while figures across the political spectrum have been referenced in the same set of allegations, enforcement action has been disproportionately focused on Vijayan and his family.

CPI(M) MP John Brittas articulated this line of attack most sharply. He pointed out that leaders such as Chennithala and Kunhalikutty, who were also named in connection with the broader findings of the case, have not faced comparable investigative action. According to Brittas, this disparity underscores the political nature of the ED’s intervention.

He argued that the absence of action against UDF leaders named in the case “clearly indicates selective targeting”, reinforcing the CPI(M)’s contention that the probe is not being conducted in a uniform or impartial manner. For the party, this has become a key plank in framing the raids not as a neutral law enforcement exercise, but as part of a politically-motivated campaign.

Also Read: Fall of the 'Captain': Pinarayi Vijayan's eventful decade-long run ends

“The UDF leaders, including some who are part of the present Cabinet, are alleged to have received large amounts of cash. However, no action has been taken against them. This clearly indicates that the state government is in collusion with the Union government. During the elections, there were allegations of a deal between us and the BJP, but now it is becoming evident who was actually in that deal,” said MB Rajesh, former minister.

The CPI(M) has also recalled remarks made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the election campaign, where he questioned why Vijayan had not been arrested by the ED. Party leaders now cite this as evidence of a broader political convergence, suggesting that both the BJP and sections of the Congress have an interest in targeting the former Kerala CM.

Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, however, clarified that his government did not have prior knowledge of the raid.

“We were not aware of the raid, and no information was shared with us by the ED regarding it. The CPI(M)’s allegation of a Congress–BJP nexus is far-fetched. I have already made my position clear regarding the contributions I received when I was the KPCC president, and I welcome any investigation into that,” said Chennithala.

Deepening political polarisation

As protests continue and political rhetoric intensifies, the ED raid has evolved into more than just an investigative action. It has become a flashpoint that encapsulates the deepening political polarisation in Kerala, with the CPI(M) seeking to rally support by portraying the episode as an assault on opposition politics and federal autonomy.

At the same time, the Opposition is expected to continue pressing for accountability on the substantive allegations emerging from the CMRL case. With legal proceedings ongoing and political stakes rising, the confrontation is likely to play out both in the courts and on the streets in the days ahead.