Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, DH file photo
To examine CBI's plea against discharge of Pinarayi in 1997 case
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, DH file photo
The Supreme Court on Thursday admitted a CBI plea against the discharge of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and others in the SNC-Lavalin corruption case.
A bench of Justices N V Ramana and S Abdul Nazeer issued notices to Vijayan and two others after Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, contended that the high court, while discharging the accused on August 23, had crossed all boundaries.
The court, meanwhile, ordered for stay on the trial against the other three accused in the matter.
In its special leave petition, the investigating agency contended that Vijayan, acting as electricity minister, wrongly entered into contracts with Lavalin in February 1997 without any expert feasibility study or technical reports for renovation and refurbishment of three hydroelectric projects - Pallivasal, Sengulam and Panniar. The contracts were made between the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and the Canadian entity SNC-Lavalin.
Former president of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, V M Sudheeran, and others also filed a petition in the apex court against the discharge of Vijayan.