Kerala CM’s daughter’s IT firm approaches Karnataka HC seeking stay on SFIO probe

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) Exalogic, the IT farm of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter, on Thursday approached the Karnataka High Court seeking a stay of the ongoing probe by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO).

Exalogic is a company which has just one director, Vijayan's daughter Veena Vijayan. The Bengaluru-based firm has now moved the court to keep it dormant status.

The SFIO is acting on the findings of the preliminary probe into the company conducted by the Registrar of Companies (ROC). Prior to the ROC investigation, this issue was first raised by Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan on the basis of a media report.

The report had quoted an Income Tax official as saying that Vijayan’s daughter Veena Vijayan’s IT firm Exalogic had received Rs 1.72 crore from the mining company CMRL, in which the KSIDC (Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation) has around 13 per cent stake.

Incidentally, for two days, the SFIO was at the Kochi office of CMRL and on Wednesday, it arrived at the KSIDC office here. KSIDC had approached the Kerala High Court seeking to quash the ongoing probe, but the court came down heavily on it and asked why should a state enterprise be worried of a probe which is just asking for information.

“What do you want to hide,” the court asked, as it refused to quash the ongoing probe.

After questioning the CMRL and KSIDC officials, the SFIO is unlikely to approach Veena. It is being said in some quarters that sensing trouble, Exalogic on Thursday approached the Karnataka High Court seeking a stay on the probe.

The Karnataka High Court will take up the petition for hearing on Friday.

Source: IANS