ED Raid Sparks Clashes Outside Pinarayi Vijayan’s Residence in Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram, May 2026 : Tension erupted outside the rented residence of senior CPI(M) leader and former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday after Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials conducting searches in connection with the CMRL-Exalogic case were allegedly attacked by angry party workers while leaving the premises.

According to officials and eyewitnesses, three vehicles accompanying the ED team were damaged in the violence as protesters allegedly surrounded the convoy and launched an attack soon after the raids concluded.

The incident took place near Vijayan’s residence in Thiruvananthapuram, where CPI(M) workers and supporters had gathered during the course of the ED operation. As the officials attempted to leave the area, protesters reportedly blocked the convoy and vandalised the vehicles using sticks and stones.

Windowpanes of multiple vehicles were shattered in the attack, causing injuries to several people, including drivers accompanying the ED team. One of the drivers reportedly sustained injuries to his eye after broken glass struck him during the violence, while another driver also suffered injuries.

A few police personnel deployed at the scene were also said to have received minor injuries while attempting to control the situation.

Despite the attack, the ED officials managed to leave the area safely and later reached a nearby police station, where statements regarding the incident were recorded.

Soon after the convoy escaped, police initiated action against those involved in the violence and began detaining protesters from the area. According to reports, several CPI(M) workers rushed into a nearby local party office to avoid arrest after the police crackdown began.

Police personnel later surrounded the party office as part of efforts to identify and apprehend those allegedly involved in the attack.

The violence unfolded in the presence of several senior CPI(M) leaders who had assembled outside Vijayan’s residence during the ED searches. The raids were part of the agency’s ongoing investigation into the alleged financial transactions between CMRL and Exalogic Solutions, the IT firm linked to Vijayan’s daughter, Veena Vijayan.

The incident has sharply escalated the political confrontation surrounding the ED probe and triggered criticism over the handling of law and order at the site.

Questions were also raised regarding the police response, as visuals circulating from the scene allegedly showed officers initially failing to intervene while the vehicles were being vandalised.

The clashes added further political heat to the already controversial investigation, which has become a major flashpoint between the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front and the BJP-led Centre.

Police are expected to review CCTV footage and other evidence to identify those involved in the attack, while security around the area has reportedly been tightened following the violence.