The Enforcement Directorate has asked the Kerala police to register an FIR against former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter T Veena, son-in-law Mohammed Riyas and others under the Prevention of Corruption Act in connection with a money laundering case allegedly involving Veena’s IT firm.

“ED has sent a detailed report to the state DGP on the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited case and sought registration of a separate FIR,” sources from the central investigative agency said.

Vijayan is currently the Leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly and Riyas, a former minister, is a CPI(M) legislator. A final call on the FIR will be taken by the state police, which falls under the Home Department headed by Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala. The Congress-led government came to power after unseating Vijayan’s CPI(M) in April this year.

The ED has alleged that payments were made by Kochi-based CMRL to Veena’s IT firm Exalogic Solutions without providing any services. The alleged illegal payments, made during Vijayan’s first term, were unearthed by the Income Tax Department.

The ED had earlier alleged that Exalogic Solutions, owned by Veena, received Rs 2.78 crore from CMRL in the guise of IT consultancy payments. ED had searched Vijayan’s premises in May. The agency also conducted searches on eight premises linked to local CPI(M) leaders in Kozhikode district, where Riyas hails from.

Following the searches, the ED claimed it had found evidence relating to the transfer of money through hawala routes.

As per the ED report to the police, Vijayan allegedly collected Rs 3.28 crore from CMRL as a bribe through Veena. To substantiate this claim, the ED quoted an admission by the former chief financial officer of CMRL. The ED claims that Riyas helped transfer the bribe money to Dubai through Veena and others.

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The ED has also sought registration of an FIR against senior employees of Exlogic Solutions.

“Several statements and digital evidence relating to the transfer of money through hawala routes were seized. Veena has been handling money beyond her known sources of income. The amounts stated in her handwritten accounts were over and above the amounts received from CMRL. The amount transferred to Dubai as per notings is 3.49 lakh UAE Dirhams (equivalent to Rs 85 lakh). The amount maintained for Indian rupees is about Rs 20.05 crore,” the ED had earlier claimed.

Last month, Vijayan had said, “My hands are clean, and I have full confidence that neither my daughter nor any of my family members have engaged in any hawala dealings.”

Questioning ED’s claim regarding hawala transactions, Vijayan, also a member of the CPI(M) politburo, said, “Veena was facing unusual actions on the ground that she is my daughter. She does not have huge wealth. She had cooperated with the probe and will continue to do so.”