Centre, Kerala spat likely as Crime Branch registers case against ED

Thiruvananthapuram, March 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) Even as a fierce electoral battle is on the cards in Kerala, another battle is shaping up between the Centre and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The Crime Branch of the Kerala Police on Friday registered a case against the Enforcement Directorate based on a complaint by two women police officials that they were pressurised by the ED officials to testify that the prime accused Swapna Suresh was asked loaded questions and was pressurised to make her name Vijayan.

An FIR has been filed before a court in Kochi against Kochi ED officials on charges which include conspiracy and other non-bailable offences.

The Crime Branch police sought legal opinion on this and it got the green signal from the director general of prosecution - the body that advises the state government on all criminal matters.

Meanwhile the ED is also leaving nothing to chance and is expecting to take up the issue of seeking a total probe by the CBI into this.

Ever since Vijayan took over the election campaign, practically every day he makes it a point to say that the Kerala government under him is of a different breed and it has always taken on the Centre. This was especially so when it became the first state in the country to announce that the CAA won't be implemented there.

He also does not forget to raise the way the central probe agencies are out to tarnish the image of the government, whose only agenda is development of the state.

In the coming days, Vijayan is likely to play to the gallery by highlighting the way his police have taken on the central agencies.

Source: IANS