ED director holds meeting of officials in Kochi, assesses status of cases

Kochi: Director of Enforcement Directorate (ED) Rahul Navin attended a meeting of top ED officials in Kochi on Friday. The director’s visit comes close on the heels of violent protests against officers of the ED during widespread raids in connection with alleged financial dealings linked to opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter Veena T.According to sources, the director assessed the investigation and legal status of various cases under probe by the Kochi zonal office of the ED. The ED action against the former CM’s daughter was part of the investigation into financial dealings of Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) and other entities, including Veena’s Exalogic company.According to sources, with the high court dismissing CMRL’s appeal against the ED probe, the agency is set to speed up further process in connection with the investigation. Actions, including issuing summons to Veena for recording her statement based on documents and gadgets seized during the raids, are also likely to take place soon.The ED raids had led to strong protest by the CPM across the state, with the protests in Thiruvananthapuram turning violent and the workers vandalising the vehicle of the officers.