CMRL-Exalogic case: All eyes on SC as Pinarayi Vijayan, family faces twin probes

New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 16
All eyes are now on the Supreme Court as Pinarayi Vijayan and his family are to approach the apex court on Friday following the Kerala High Court setback, with the outcome of the legal battle carrying implications for both the veteran CPI(M) leader and a party struggling to recover from its worst electoral defeat in Kerala.

With the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) pursuing two separate cases, the Supreme Court has emerged as Vijayan's next legal battleground.

Any further escalation of the investigations could deepen the political crisis facing the CPI(M), which is out of power in every state for the first time since its formation. Vijayan is the first accused in a case involving alleged corruption linked to his daughter, T. Veena, and her now-defunct IT firm, Exalogic.

Veena is the second accused in both cases.

In another case involving alleged hawala transactions, former minister and CPI(M) legislator P.A. Mohammed Riyas, Vijayan's son-in-law, is the first accused.

The CPI(M) leadership has, meanwhile, closed ranks behind Vijayan, ruling out his resignation as Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly.

The decision puts the party's stated emphasis on political morality under scrutiny, given its history of demanding accountability from leaders of rival parties facing corruption allegations.

The controversy also recalls former CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat's defence of Vijayan during the SNC-Lavalin case.

Karat had argued that Vijayan need not step down as the party's state secretary because he did not hold a government post then.

The latest legal setback comes as the party's district committees examine the reasons for its April 2026 electoral collapse.

The Left's Assembly strength fell from 99 seats to 35, while the Congress-led UDF won 102 seats and the BJP secured three.

Vijayan, 82, has remained the party's dominant leader since the late 1990s.

The leadership's decision to stand firmly behind him may settle the immediate question of his position, but it does not remove the legal uncertainty.

The Supreme Court battle could therefore become a critical test for Vijayan and his family.

For the CPI(M), the stakes extend beyond the cases themselves as the course of the investigations could shape its efforts to rebuild public confidence after its historic defeat.