ED summons to CM Vijayan’s son confirmed as document surfaces

Thiruvananthapuram: A fresh controversy has erupted in Kerala after documents surfaced confirming that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had summoned Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s son, Vivek Kiran, in connection with the Life Mission money-laundering case.

The revelation coincides with Chief Minister Vijayan’s meeting in Delhi with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, adding a sharp political edge to the development.

According to a report published by a leading vernacular daily on Saturday, the ED had issued summons No. KCCEDO/2023/769 to “Vivek Kiran, son of Pinarayi Vijayan, Cliff House, Thiruvananthapuram,” under Sections 50(2) and 50(3) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The notice, signed by then ED Assistant Director P.K. Anand, directed him to appear before the agency’s Kochi office at 10:30 a.m. on February 14, 2023, and produce documents including Aadhaar, PAN, bank statements, and details of assets held by him and his family.

However, Vivek did not appear before the central agency, and no follow-up action was taken.

The document remains listed as “active” on the ED’s official “Verify Your Summons” portal, confirming its authenticity.

The summons was issued as part of the investigation into the Wadakkanchery Life Mission housing project, which the agency alleged involved kickbacks amounting to Rs 4.4 crore.

The project, funded by the UAE Red Crescent through the UAE Consulate for 2018 flood victims, was implemented by Unitac Builders.

The ED found that Unitac Managing Partner Santosh Eapen had allegedly paid the bribe to Consulate officials and M. Sivasankar, then Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, who was later arrested after a three-day interrogation in Kochi.

The ED had also questioned Swapna Suresh and Sarith, both accused in the gold smuggling case, as part of the same probe.

The agency had even sought details about Vivek’s employment in Abu Dhabi from UAE authorities, though the outcome is not known.

At the time, the Congress had stated that the BJP and CPI(M) were “colluding” to shield the Chief Minister’s family, citing the ED’s failure to pursue the summons further.

The emergence of the document now revives questions over the agency’s silence and the political implications of an investigation that briefly reached the Chief Minister’s doorstep.

Meanwhile, while the ED officials are tightlipped on the summons to Vivek, they say the case has not been closed.

–IANS