What’s wrong with SFIA probe into Veena's firm: HC

ACTING on a petition demanding a probe by the Serious Fraud Investigation Agency (SFIA) into the dealings of the IT firm Exalogic owned by Veena Vijayan, daughter of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday asked “what’s wrong if it happens, according to online news sites quoting IANS.”

The petitioner Shaun George, son of former seven-time Legislator PC George, submitted a fresh petition stating that only an SFIA probe would reveal the real truth.

He said the present three-member team of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs probing the case might not be able to bring out everything.

For the past few months, the issue has been raging both inside and outside the Assembly after a media report, quoting an Income Tax Department official, claimed that Veena's firm had received Rs 1.72 crore from mining company CMRL, where the state-owned Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) has a stake.

The issue was first taken up by first-time Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan and since then it has been a free-for-all all between the Opposition, the Vijayan Government and his party CPI-M.

On Wednesday, while George sought an SFIA probe, it was strongly opposed by the CMRL and KSIDC.

It was then that the court asked what was wrong if the SFIA also conducted a probe and expressed its ire at the delay in the response to this from the Centre.

The Centre has sought time for its reply on the issue and the court has now posted the case for February 5.

The Congress party has already sought a court-monitored probe by the ED and the CBI into Veena’s IT firm’s deals.