ED Resorts to Unfair Tactics; Pastes Notice at Opposition Leader’s Residence Instead of Serving It in Person

Thiruvananthapuram: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has pasted a summons at Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence in Thiruvananthapuram in connection with the CMRL-Exalogic transaction case. The officials pasted the notice on the wall without attempting to hand it over directly.

Pinarayi Vijayan is in Kannur to attend an extended CPI(M) district committee meeting. When the ED officials arrived at his residence, his staff member Sunil was present. The officials asked Sunil to accept the notice. When he refused, they pasted it on the wall.

The officials then asked Sunil to sign as a witness, but he declined. Subsequently, police officers from the Museum police station asked a shopkeeper near the Opposition Leader’s residence to sign as a witness. The shopkeeper also refused. Finally, two police officers themselves signed as witnesses for the ED.

The summons directs Pinarayi Vijayan to appear at the ED office in Kochi on the 23rd.

After learning about the incident, CPI(M) state secretariat member V Sivankutty and other leaders arrived at the residence. They said that if the ED officials intended to serve the notice that day, they could have travelled to Kannur and handed it over to Pinarayi there. The leaders alleged that the actions of the ED and the police were intended to deliberately humiliate him.