Kochi, April 10 (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate, which last month initiated an investigation into a money laundering case involving Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter Veena Vijayan's IT firm and the Cochin-based mining firm CMRL, has asked a top official of CMRL to appear before them on Thursday at their office here.

The ED is understood to have also informed the company that in the days to come, a few other officials will have to appear too.

This case is already being probed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO).

It was last month that the Kochi office of the ED filed an ECIR in the case.

The ECIR is similar to the FIR lodged by the police for cognisable offences.

This issue was first raised last year by Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan based on a media report, which quoted an Income Tax Department officer as saying that "CM Vijayan's daughter Veena Vijayan's IT firm Exalogic had received Rs 1.72 crore from the mining company CMRL, in which the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) has around 13 per cent stake".

When the SFIO began its probe, the KSIDC approached the Kerala High Court seeking a stay, which was disallowed.

Veena, whose IT firm was based in Bengaluru and now not in operation, approached the Karnataka High Court seeking a stay, but was disallowed.

Vijayan and the CPI(M), of late are tight-lipped on this issue, after initially dismissing all charges as baseless.