Kochi, 16 September 2026 — The Enforcement Directorate's money-laundering probe into the CMRL-Exalogic payment controversy hit a significant new obstacle on Wednesday after Cochin Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) Chief Financial Officer K.S. Suresh Kumar filed an affidavit seeking to withdraw the statement he had previously given to the agency. In that statement, Suresh Kumar had allegedly linked payments made by CMRL to Veena Vijayan's company, Exalogic Solutions, to her position as the daughter of then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

What the Affidavit Alleges

Suresh Kumar has alleged in the affidavit that ED officials threatened him and obtained his statement under duress. He has further claimed that the investigating officers were unwilling to record or consider the answers he actually gave during questioning, and that he was pressured to name political leaders. He now seeks to retract the earlier statement and correct his account of what he told the agency.

The earlier statement had assumed central importance in the ED's findings, with the agency citing it to argue that CMRL continued making payments to Veena because of her political influence as Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter — and interpreting those payments as bribes allegedly channelled to the former Chief Minister through her.

ED's Report and the Police Complaint

The development comes days after the ED submitted a formal report to the Kerala Police seeking action against Pinarayi Vijayan, Veena Vijayan, her husband and Communist Party of India (Marxist) legislator P.A. Mohammed Riyas, over alleged corruption and money-laundering offences. The state government is currently examining the ED's request to register a case and has sought legal advice before deciding on further action.

Suresh Kumar's retraction, if accepted, could materially weaken the evidentiary foundation of the ED's report, given how substantially the agency had relied on his account.

Political Reactions

Riyas reacted sharply to Wednesday's development, saying the way 'the ED in the country behaves is known to all,' citing accounts from people who have been subjected to ED probes. On the 'red diary' — a document that has emerged as a focal point in the controversy — Riyas said: 'The details that were in the diary were just forward planning done by her (Veena) as she was to start a new business.'

Earlier on Wednesday, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan pointed to what he described as contradictory statements from Vijayan and Riyas about the red diary. According to Satheesan, Vijayan had categorically denied the existence of such a diary, while Riyas acknowledged one existed.

What Happens Next

The Kerala government's decision on whether to register a case — and the weight courts may assign to Suresh Kumar's retraction — will be the critical next steps in a case that has already drawn national attention. Legal observers note that retracting a statement recorded by the ED is a complex process and does not automatically nullify the original account in legal proceedings. The competing claims around the red diary and the coercion allegation are expected to intensify scrutiny on the probe's conduct.