Violence erupted outside former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s residence on Wednesday after Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials completed a search operation and attempted to leave the premises. Around 300 people were booked by the Kerala Police.
LDF party workers stage a protest outside the residence of former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Enforcement Directorate raid conducted at Vijayan's residence as part of its investigation in the CMRL money laundering case, in Thiruvananthapuram, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (PTI)
Visuals aired on television channels showed suspected CPI(M) workers gathering outside Vijayan’s rented house and protesting against the raid. The situation escalated when some protesters allegedly blocked the vehicle carrying ED officials and hurled stones at it.
Police and central security personnel struggled to bring the crowd under control as the vehicle, which also had women officials on board, came under attack. The windshield of the vehicle was damaged in the incident.
The case has been registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including unlawful assembly, rioting, assault on public servants, wrongful restraint and attempt to murder. Charges under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act have also been invoked.
Among the most serious charges is attempt to murder under Section 109 of the BNS, which carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison, or life imprisonment if severe injuries are caused.
The First Information Report (FIR), registered by the Museum Police Station, alleged that some members of the crowd attacked officers travelling with the Enforcement Directorate team using sticks, injuring one officer on the hand.
Security personnel stand guard outside the residence of former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a raid at Vijayan's residence as part of its investigation against his daughter in the CMRL money laundering case, in Thiruvananthapuram, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (PTI)
Speaking to reporters after the ED concluded hours-long searches at his rented residence in Bakery Junction in connection with the alleged CMRL monthly payment case, Vijayan alleged that the action was part of a broader crackdown on opposition leaders across the country.
“This is only a beginning. Nobody should harbour the illusion that such actions can intimidate or weaken us,” he said.
The veteran CPI(M) leader accused the BJP-led Centre of using central agencies to target opposition leaders since coming to power, and claimed the action against him was part of the same strategy.
LDF party workers stage a protest outside the residence of former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Enforcement Directorate raid conducted at Vijayan's residence as part of its investigation in the CMRL money laundering case, in Thiruvananthapuram, Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (PTI)
Vijayan further alleged that the searches may provide “mental satisfaction” to Rahul Gandhi, claiming the Congress leader had repeatedly questioned why his residence had not been searched and why he had not been arrested.
However, on the other end, Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar accused the newly formed Congress-led state government of keeping quiet to protect its political twin, the CPI(M).
Claiming that opposition leaders across the country were facing similar action from central agencies, Vijayan also accused the Congress of remaining silent over ED proceedings against leaders of other parties. Opposition leaders Arvind Kejriwal and MK Stalin also condemned the Centre over the raids and also targeted Congress over the party's recent complaints of 'inaction' by the BJP-led central government against Vijayan.
"Incidentally, this also exposes the hollowness of the reckless allegations made by some Congress leaders who repeatedly questioned why Pinarayi Vijayan had 'not yet been targeted by the BJP'!", Stalin said in a post on X.
Slamming the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, the BJP leader said, "Violence is the last refuge of the corrupt", as according to him, obstructing officers on duty during a central investigation is not a political protest but an assault on the rule of law.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) leaders, led by party general secretary M A Baby, staged a protest outside the ED headquarters in Delhi against the searches at Vijayan’s residence, with several leaders and workers later detained by police. The party alleged that police used force to disperse demonstrators and accused the Centre of selectively using central agencies against opposition leaders.
M A Babyalong with CPI (M) party workers protest in Delhi in front of the Enforcement Directorate headquarters. (X/@cpimspeak)
Baby claimed that while several people whose names allegedly figured in the CMRL diary continued to hold important positions in the present Congress-led state administration, Vijayan was being singled out. “He is now being targeted even for being Veena’s father,” he said.
Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, who was among those detained, also accused the BJP of using the ED to “intimidate, bully, and humiliate” opposition leaders. Questioning the manner in which the searches were conducted, Karat alleged that due process was being bypassed and described the action as a “shameful display”.
CPI(M) party workers protest in Delhi over Enforcement Directorate raid at Pinarayi Vijayan's residence (X/@cpimspeak)
The ED searches were conducted as part of an investigation involving the former chief minister’s daughter, following approval from the Kerala High Court.
A total of 10 locations across Kerala were searched, including the rented residence of the 81-year-old former chief minister in Thiruvananthapuram, a premises in Kannur, and properties linked to “key persons” associated with Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL), a private company.
