ED traces SIM used by Veena T to DYFI leader in CMRL-Exalogic case

KOCHI: A day after tracing a hawala trail in the CMRL-Exalogic case, the Enforcement Directorate has discovered that the SIM card employed by Veena T, daughter of former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, for internet-based calls was obtained in the name of a.

Key points

• As hawala transactions are suspected in the case, the agency has sought legal opinion on invoking the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
• The ED is projected to question Veena again and intensify its probe into the SIM card, the sources stated.
• After raids at various locations in Kozhikode, the ED had stated it discovered evidence of capital transfers through hawala channels.
• If a violation of FEMA provisions is established, Veena could face further legal action, they continued.
• As sources indicate, the ED is projected to question Veena again and intensify its probe into the SIM card.

Notably, the ED traced the person through a digital device seized from Veena that contained a photograph of a SIM card registered in another person's name and applied in a Wi-Fi router, sources stated. As hawala transactions are suspected in the case, the agency has sought legal opinion on invoking the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

For context, the ED is projected to question Veena again and intensify its probe into the SIM card, the sources stated. It will additionally seek the assistance of cyber experts from a national laboratory as part of the investigation.

According to sources, with records showing that Rs 85 lakh was transferred to Dubai, the ED is examining the purpose of the remittance and the route through which the capital was transferred. If a violation of FEMA provisions is established, Veena could face further legal action, they continued.

After raids at various locations in Kozhikode, the ED had stated it discovered evidence of capital transfers through hawala channels. The seizures indicate that Veena was handling amounts beyond her known sources of income, with her handwritten accounts recording sums over and above the payments received from CMRL. As well as from the person who provided the SIM card, the agency collected evidence from all those named in the accounts. The ED remarked the investigation is progressing.

As sources indicate, the ED is projected to question Veena again and intensify its probe into the SIM card. It has sought legal opinion on invoking the Foreign Exchange Management Act as hawala transactions are suspected in the case.

Taken together, the developments around ED traces SIM used by Veena T to DYFI leader in CMRL point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.