Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 19 (PTI) The ED on Friday examined the bank locker of Veena T, daughter of former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in connection with a money laundering case involving her now-defunct IT firm and its alleged links to mining company CMRL.

Enforcement Directorate officials examined her locker at an HDFC Bank branch in the state capital in the morning in her presence.

Central security force personnel were deployed outside the bank, according to visuals aired by television channels.

The move comes two days after Veena was questioned for over nine hours at the ED's Kochi office in connection with the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Vijayan downplayed the development and said that the ED had searched his rented accommodation, and there was no issue if the agency wanted to examine his daughter's bank locker.

"If they want to see it, let them. You (media) can go with your camera and see if anything big is found when the locker is opened," he said with a laugh.

He was responding to reporters' queries on the matter during a press conference held here after the presentation of the Budget.

The ED probe pertains to allegations that Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd made payments amounting to Rs 2.78 crore to Exalogic without receiving any services in return.

According to the ED, another company, Empower India Capital Investments Private Limited, operated by CMRL Managing Director Sasidharan Kartha, had extended loans worth Rs 50 lakh to Exalogic despite the firm allegedly failing to repay them on time.

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

The ED registered a case under the PMLA on the basis of a prosecution complaint filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office before a court in Ernakulam in April 2025.

The SFIO is the investigation arm of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

CMRL came under the scanner of central agencies following an Income Tax Department search in January 2019, which allegedly uncovered financial irregularities, including expenses suspected to be fictitious and amounting to around Rs 130 crore. PTI HMP SSK

Money laundering investigation leads to bank locker examination over alleged corporate transactions and proceeds of crime Enforcement Directorate action in a money laundering investigation extended to examination of a bank locker belonging to Veena T, daughter of former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in her presence at an HDFC Bank branch. The inquiry relates to alleged transactions involving her now-defunct IT firm, Exalogic, and its purported links with Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd, including payments said to have been made without corresponding services and loans allegedly extended through another company connected with CMRL management.