Thiruvananthapuram, Oct. 17 -- The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has issued a notice to Keralam Leader of Opposition (LoP) Pinarayi Vijayan asking him to appear for questioning next week in connection with the CMRL monthly payoffs case. The leader of opposition in the state assembly has been asked to appear at the ED's zonal unit office in Kochi. This is the first time that Vijayan has been summoned by the central agency in the case. The move comes days after the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) booked Vijayan, his daughter Veena and son-in-law and CPI(M) MLA PA Mohammed Riyas under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act in connection with the irregularities in the case. The VACB FIRs were registered on the basis of the ED report, handed to the Keralam DGP, in which the central agency alleged that Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL), a minerals manufacturer, sent monthly payments to the tune of Rs.3.28 crore to Exalogic Solutions, a former IT firm run by Veena, without any services being rendered in return. The agency claimed that Suresh Kumar, former CFO of CMRL, admitted under oath that Veena was continued to be paid by CMRL "due to the public relation avenues brought by her and her relationship with her father, Pinarayi Vijayan, the then chief minister of Kerala." On Thursday, a division bench of the Kerala high court denied permission to Vijayan and others to appeal against the singe judge order that had directed the registration of FIRs against them. Vijayan has termed the allegations of ED "baseless"....