Overview

• The Kerala High Court has issued a two-month status quo on the SFIO case involving Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd. (CMRL) and Veena Vijayan, pausing further judicial actions and summons issuance.
• This decision follows CMRL's challenge to procedural irregularities, arguing they were denied a mandatory pre-cognizance hearing under updated legal frameworks.
• The SFIO's charge sheet accuses Vijayan, daughter of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, of receiving fraudulent payments from CMRL through her defunct IT firm, Exalogic.
• The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has obtained the SFIO charge sheet and is set to investigate potential money laundering linked to fraudulent transactions, including ₹2.7 crore allegedly paid to Exalogic.
• The High Court's order provides temporary relief to the accused while raising critical questions about the applicability of procedural laws in the case.