Officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) visited the Bakery Junction residence of Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, pasting a summons notice on a pillar outside the house. The notice directs him to appear for questioning on October 23. Neither Pinarayi Vijayan nor any family members were present at the residence when the officials arrived.

According to reports, household staff present at the residence refused to accept the summons on his behalf, prompting the central probe agency to paste the document on the pillar in front of the premises. In addition to physically serving the notice at the residence, the ED has also dispatched the summons via post.

Following the news, several leaders, including former minister V Sivankutty, arrived at the spot. Addressing the media, Sivankutty stated that the ED team initially arrived and departed after being informed that Pinarayi Vijayan was currently in Kannur. However, the officers returned shortly after, insisting on affixing the summons to the wall and demanding that staff members sign as witnesses.

When the staff declined to sign, the officials left once again, only to return accompanied by police personnel to forcibly paste the summons on the pillar. Sivankutty strongly criticized the move, questioning the urgency demonstrated by the central agency. He remarked that there was no reason for such coercive tactics, as the leader was hardly a fugitive and could have been served the notice directly in due course. He characterised the action as the latest instance of a political witch-hunt.

This location was previously the site of a confrontation when CPM workers allegedly targeted ED personnel during an earlier search.

The probe agency's swift move comes even as proceedings initiated by Vigilance under the Prevention of Corruption Act remain under challenge before the Supreme Court. The ED registered two ECIRs based on the initial Vigilance FIR against former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former Minister PA Muhammad Riyas regarding the CMRL-Exalogic transaction, leading to the latest round of questioning notices.