Pinarayi Vijayan, others left with two legal options after Kerala HC dismisses their writ appeals in CMRL payoff case

Keralam Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan | Photo Credit: Nirmal Harindran

Keralam Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan and others are left with two legal options: challenging the registration of the First Information Report (FIR) against them for allegedly amassing wealth, or approaching the Supreme Court against the Kerala High Court order denying them leave to challenge a Single Judge’s order directing the registration of an FIR against them.

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Thursday (October 15, 2026) dismissed the writ appeal filed by Mr. Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena and son-in-law P.A. Mohamed Riyas against the Single Judge’s order directing the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to register an FIR in connection with allegations of financial transactions between Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) and now-defunct firm Exalogic Solutions Pvt. Ltd., owned by Ms. Veena. The order followed a letter from the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to the State Police Chief (SPC).

The ED had informed the SPC that it had found substantial information against the accused, who, according to the agency, had engaged in money laundering, an offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED subsequently registered cases against the accused under the PMLA and the Foreign Exchange Management Act, after the VACB registered a case on the orders of a Single Judge of the High Court.