3 weeks ago
Kerala HC grants bail to 10 more ED attack accused
Some people are accused of hurting government officers in Kerala.
The officers were searching the home of Pinarayi Vijayan, who used to lead the state, because they wanted to check money linked to his daughter's business.
As the officers were leaving, a crowd attacked their cars and some people got hurt.
The court has now let some of the accused people go home while they wait for their trial, which is called bail.
Over two days, the court let ten more people go home, so 24 people have now been allowed to leave.
The judge said yes because the investigation is almost finished, the accused have no history of serious crimes, and nobody was badly hurt.
But they must follow strict rules: pay money, check in with the police every Saturday, and stay away from the police station area where the attack happened.
The officers' agency, called the ED, did not want them released and says the attack was planned and violent.
The ED is looking into money the former leader's daughter's company received from a mining company, which both companies say was a normal business deal.
Still, the judge noted the accusations are serious and may show the crime was planned in advance.
The Kerala High Court granted bail to 10 more accused in the ED attack case — four on Wednesday and six on Thursday — taking the total granted relief to 24.
Justice Kauser Edappagath said the allegations prima facie indicated premeditated criminal acts but cited the nearly complete investigation, no serious criminal antecedents and no serious injuries to victims.
Bail was set at a Rs 1 lakh bond with two solvent sureties, a Rs 10,000 deposit and conditions including Saturday appearances before the investigating officer.
The accused were barred from entering the jurisdiction of the Cantonment Police Station in Thiruvananthapuram and from leaving the state without trial court permission.
The ED opposed bail, calling the May 27 attack a "violent, pre-planned, politically coordinated attack" linked to alleged payments between T Veena's Exalogic Solutions and Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL).
- Who
- Justice Kauser Edappagath of the Kerala High Court, who granted bail to the accused Nidin Raj, Shahin, Vijay S L, Shaiju Salim, Revanth, R Unnikrishnan, Unni D S, I P Binu, Dineeth B Nair and Dinakar.
- What
- The court granted conditional bail to 10 more people accused of attacking Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, bringing to 24 the number of accused granted relief in a case in which around 300 identifiable persons were booked.
- Where
- The bail orders came from the Kerala High Court in Kochi; the attack followed an ED search at former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's residence in Thiruvananthapuram.
- When
- Four were granted bail on Wednesday and six more on Thursday, under reports carrying an August 6, 2026 PTI dateline; the attack on ED officials took place on May 27.
- Why
- The court cited the nearly complete investigation, the accused's lack of criminal antecedents involving serious offences and the absence of serious injuries to victims; the ED opposed the pleas, calling the attack a violent, pre-planned, politically coordinated assault.
Accused, T Veena and CMRL's Perspective
Enforcement Directorate's Perspective
Nature of the May 27 attack
Accused, T Veena and CMRL's Perspective
The court's bail reasoning — that the victims suffered no serious injuries, the accused have no serious criminal antecedents and the investigation is nearly complete — treated the incident as less severe than a pre-planned violent assault.
Enforcement Directorate's Perspective
The ED described the attack as a "violent, pre-planned, politically coordinated attack" in which dangerous weapons were used, arguing it was a coordinated, organised assault on officers lawfully conducting a search under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Payments between Exalogic Solutions and CMRL
Accused, T Veena and CMRL's Perspective
T Veena and CMRL denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that payments made between 2017 and 2020 were part of a legitimate commercial arrangement for IT and consultancy services.
Enforcement Directorate's Perspective
Investigating agencies alleged that Exalogic Solutions received payments from CMRL for IT and consultancy services that were never provided, which was the basis of the ED search.
Key facts
- Court
- Kerala High Court
- Presiding Judge
- Justice Kauser Edappagath
- Bail Conditions
- Rs 1 lakh bond, two solvent sureties, Rs 10,000 deposit, Saturday appearances before the investigating officer
- Total Accused Granted Relief
- 24 of around 300 identifiable persons booked
- Attack Date
- May 27
- Injured in Attack (per ED)
- A driver, a CRPF officer and a search team member
- Companies Under Scrutiny
- Exalogic Solutions and Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL)
- ED Allegation
- A "violent, pre-planned, politically coordinated attack" using dangerous weapons
Quotes
Advocate Jaishankar V Nair
Advocate representing the ED in the bail opposition
“"a coordinated and organised assault on the officers of a central investigating agency who had lawfully conducted search proceedings pursuant to statutory powers vested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act."”
theprint.in
Sources
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