In a significant development in the monthly payment controversy, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter and Exalogic Solutions director T. Veena has filed a counter-affidavit before the Kerala High Court opposing the demand for a CBI probe.
Veena, a qualified software engineer and independent entrepreneur, alleged that the petition is politically motivated and seeks to target her solely because she is the Chief Minister’s daughter. Her affidavit closely mirrors the clarifications provided earlier by the Chief Minister in his own counter-affidavit.
Veena categorically rejected claims that Exalogic is a benami company and stated that neither her father nor her husband, Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas, has any involvement in her business affairs. She further clarified that the allegation of discrepancies in Riyas’s asset disclosures is baseless, pointing out that her own assets had been duly included in the declarations submitted to the Election Commission. Income tax records pertaining to her company have been furnished to the authorities, who are fully empowered to examine them, she added. Veena also argued that the petition cannot be considered a genuine public interest litigation.
Exalogic is the 13th respondent in the case, and Veena, as its sole director, is the 14th respondent.
The petition had also alleged that the director’s address of Exalogic was listed as the AKG Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, a matter reportedly criticised by the Karnataka High Court. In her affidavit, Veena dismissed this as a figment of the petitioner’s imagination. She explained that during the COVID-19 period, the company’s registered office in Bengaluru was not operational, resulting in a fine of ₹1 lakh imposed by the Registrar of Companies — later reduced to ₹20,000 on appeal. According to Veena, the attempt to link the AKG Centre’s name to this issue is not driven by public interest but by politically motivated efforts to malign both her and her father.
The counter-affidavit was filed in response to a petition submitted by journalist M.R. Ajayan, who has sought a CBI probe into the financial transactions between CMRL (Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited) and Exalogic. Veena’s principal argument is that a parallel CBI investigation is impermissible while an inquiry by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) is already in progress on the same allegations. The affidavit asserts that the petition lacks both factual foundation and credible evidence, relying instead on assumptions. The High Court is scheduled to reconsider the matter on June 17. Earlier, notices had been issued to the Chief Minister, Veena, and other respondents.
Civil Dispute — No Grounds for CBI Probe, Says Veena:
Veena further contended that the allegations in the petition do not meet the legal threshold required to warrant a CBI investigation. No prima facie facts have been established to justify such an action, she argued.
She pointed out that the petitioner had relied on an interim order of the Income Tax Interim Settlement Board — a matter that falls squarely within the realm of civil disputes, not criminal investigations.
She also highlighted that similar petitions filed by MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan and advocate Girish Babu had previously been dismissed by vigilance courts — a decision upheld by the High Court.
All financial transactions with CMRL were conducted transparently via online channels, and the corresponding records have been submitted to the income tax authorities, Veena added.
Veena further stated that she has been cooperating fully with the ongoing SFIO investigation. In her view, the current petition seeks to infringe upon her right to a fair trial in that investigation.
