Jinto John questions UDF's preliminary inquiry in alleged CMRL bribery case

Congress leader Jinto John urged the UDF government to pursue legal proceedings in the alleged CMRL bribery case. He warned that delaying action against Pinarayi Vijayan's family could suggest political protection.Image used for representational purposes onlyThiruvananthapuram,Oct 16, 2026 14:28 ISTCongress leader Jinto John on Friday criticised the United Democratic Front government for deciding to conduct a preliminary inquiry instead of registering a first information report against Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan and his family in the alleged CMRL bribery case, the Press Trust of India reported.John questioned what he described as an apparent change in the Congress leadership's stand on corruption allegations and its approach towards political opponents.The Kerala High Court on Thursday dismissed petitions filed by Vijayan, his daughter Veena T and her husband P A Mohamed Riyas, challenging an October 9 order by a single judge. The order directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to register an FIR against them based on a report submitted by the Enforcement Directorate.Before the single judge issued the order, the state government had decided to conduct a preliminary inquiry instead of registering an FIR against Vijayan and his family. According to PTI, the ED sought the registration of a case based on evidence gathered during its investigation and searches under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The agency alleged that Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited made fraudulent payments of more than Rs 3 crore to Veena's now-defunct company, Exalogic Solutions, in the name of IT consultancy services.Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan also questioned the government's decision. At a press conference on Thursday, he said both the single judge and a division bench had observed that a preliminary inquiry was unnecessary after the ED provided the information. He said the government should reconsider its stand if needed. In a Facebook post on Friday, John referred to the previous Left Democratic Front government's decision to recommend a CBI investigation against former chief minister Oommen Chandy in a case linked to the solar scam. He said the recommendation was made despite three investigation teams constituted by Pinarayi Vijayan finding no evidence.John asked whether Congress leaders had forgotten the alleged attempts to implicate Chief Minister V D Satheesan in the Punarjani case and the alleged harassment of MP K Sudhakaran in the Monson Mavunkal case based on false statements.He also referred to the arrests of youth and student leaders during the previous government and alleged that Kuzhalnadan was targeted for demanding a vigilance inquiry into alleged corruption involving Vijayan's family.John said it was appropriate not to rush into registering a case solely on the basis of an ED letter. However, he warned that an excessive delay could raise suspicions, particularly when those facing the allegations were unable to answer the charges convincingly.“Not repeating the unethical political witch-hunts of the Pinarayi Vijayan era is a welcome position. At the same time, there should be nothing that gives the impression that the government is helping the alleged beneficiaries escape accountability,” John said, according to PTI.John said the government should not take a position that would embarrass Congress workers who had repeatedly raised corruption allegations against the previous administration.He also questioned the argument that the petitioner in the case was a habitual litigant, saying the credibility of a complainant should not be cited as a reason to avoid addressing corruption allegations.“The government should belong to everyone. It should not give the impression that it belongs particularly to Pinarayi Vijayan,” John said. He warned that the public would compare the actions of the present government with those of the previous administration.John urged the government to address the allegations against Vijayan and his family through legal proceedings without creating an impression that it was helping them avoid accountability.- Ends