Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Wednesday, 27 May disclosed that neither he nor the Kerala Police had any prior knowledge of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids conducted simultaneously at 10 locations across the state, including residences linked to former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family, in the CMRL-Exalogic case. The searches, which stretched into their sixth hour by afternoon, mark one of the most significant federal agency actions against a sitting Left leadership in Kerala's recent political history.

What Chennithala Said

'I spoke to the State Police Chief, and also the Home Secretary, and they too said they had no information. Their services were not sought. It is the Central forces which are providing security for the ongoing raids,' Chennithala told reporters. The Home Minister's statement underscores a sharp jurisdictional divide — the ED operated entirely through central security cover, bypassing the state police apparatus.

Where the Raids Were Conducted

The ED searches targeted Vijayan's rented residence in Thiruvananthapuram, his home in Kannur, locations linked to his daughter Veena Vijayan, officials of CMRL, and the Kozhikode residence of former minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas. The scale and geographic spread of the operation — spanning at least three districts — signals the agency's intent to cast a wide net in the financial probe.

Political Crossfire: Congress vs CPI(M)

The raids ignited an immediate political war of words. CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan, speaking after an emergency party secretariat meeting, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress of jointly targeting Vijayan. 'We have nothing to fear. There is not an iota of evidence against Pinarayi Vijayan. Veena has cooperated fully with the probe. This is pure political vendetta,' Govindan said.

Chennithala, however, turned the allegation back on the Left. 'What people really want to know is what happened to the alleged BJP-CPI(M) deal once the ED landed at Vijayan's house,' he said, rejecting the charge of any Congress-BJP understanding as baseless.

High Court Order and Congress Legislator's Remarks

Congress legislator Mathew Kuzhalnadan noted that the ED action followed a Kerala High Court order issued on Tuesday that allowed the agency to continue its probe after disposing of petitions seeking to stall the investigation. Kuzhalnadan, who said he had earlier been politically targeted when the court granted an interim stay, added: 'When vigilance raids were conducted against me during Pinarayi Vijayan's tenure, I cooperated fully and never tried to evade the probe.'

CPI(M) Protests on the Streets

CPI(M) cadres gathered outside Vijayan's residences in both Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur, raising slogans against the ED. Govindan announced statewide torchlight marches on Wednesday night by party committees in protest, before proceeding directly to the gate of Vijayan's residence where searches were still under way. Senior Left leaders in the state capital were reported to be sitting in protest in front of Vijayan's home as the raids continued.

With the Kerala High Court having cleared the ED's path and central forces securing the search sites, the political and legal fallout from the CMRL-Exalogic probe is set to intensify in the days ahead.