Kochi, Jun 16 (PTI) The ED on Tuesday questioned the son and wife of CMRL Founder Sasidharan Kartha, in connection with a money laundering case involving the company and former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter Veena T, officials said.

Sharan S Kartha and Jaya Kartha appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office here around 10.15 am in response to a summons issued by the agency, they added.

According to the company website, Sharan is the managing director, and Jaya is a director on the board of CMRL.

The agency on Monday had questioned Shiiby Kartha, daughter of Sasidharan Kartha, in connection with the case.

The ED is also probing Sasja India Private Limited and Empower India Capital Investments Private Limited (EICPL), two other firms associated with the Kartha family.

Veena has been asked to appear before the agency officials on June 17 for questioning, they said.

The ED probe pertains to allegations that CMRL paid Rs 2.78 crore to Exalogic Solutions Private Limited, a company owned by Veena, without receiving any services in return.

According to the agency, EICPL, operated by Sasidharan Kartha, had also extended loans worth Rs 50 lakh to Exalogic despite the company allegedly failing to make timely repayments.

The ED has alleged that the management of CMRL and Veena generated "proceeds of crime" through these transactions.

The agency registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on a prosecution complaint filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) before a court in Ernakulam in April 2025.

The SFIO, the investigation arm of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, had launched a probe into the affairs of CMRL following findings by the Income Tax Department.

CMRL came under the scanner of central agencies after an Income Tax Department raid in January 2019, which allegedly detected irregularities, including expenses suspected to be fictitious and amounting to around Rs 130 crore. PTI HMP ADB

Money laundering probe over alleged sham payments and loans linked to CMRL, Exalogic, and family-associated companies. Enforcement Directorate questioning continued in a money laundering probe concerning transactions between CMRL, Exalogic Solutions Private Limited, and entities linked to the Kartha family. The investigation concerns alleged payments by CMRL to Exalogic without corresponding services and loans extended by Empower India Capital Investments Private Limited to Exalogic despite alleged repayment defaults. The agency has stated that these transactions generated proceeds of crime, and the case has been registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act on the basis of a prosecution complaint filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office.