ED opinion sought on keeping the CCTV video of the interrogation of CMRL personnel

In the pay-off case involving the IT firm Exalogic Solutions, owned by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter Veena T, the Kerala High Court has requested the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) opinion on a plea seeking the preservation and retention of the CCTV footage of the interrogations of three officials of Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL), including a woman.

Additionally, the court decided not to get involved in the fresh summons that the ED had sent to CMRL MD S N Sasidharan Kartha, requesting that he appear before it on Tuesday, April 16. On April 19, the court will review the matter. On Tuesday, Kartha did not show up to be questioned.

The petitioners, senior officer Anju Rachael Kuruvila, chief financial officer K S Suresh Kumar, and senior manager N C Chandrasekharan of CMRL, said the ED unlawfully held them for more than 24 hours, including overnight. From Monday at 10.30 a.m. until Tuesday at 10.30 a.m., the three were questioned. They also asked for the retention of the investigating officer’s and their call detail recordings (CDRs) from April 15 to April 16 in their appeal.

Despite the HC’s April 12 protection, the petitioners claimed they were forced to collect and divulge information about CMRL, including privileged and private papers and the company’s email password.

The petitioners were permitted to go on Tuesday, according to the ED’s legal representative. Regarding the CCTV video, the attorney requested more time to provide details. The attorney said, “I have to get instruction whether it has been recorded or is available with ED,” and mentioned that there is nothing stopping the ED from interviewing a woman and that there is a woman officer on the investigative team.

Regarding Kartha, the ED said that, according to the summons, he must appear before the agency.