New Delhi, Apr 6 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing in the SNC-Lavalin graft case, in which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has challenged the discharge of the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, by two weeks.
A bench comprising Justices UU Lalit and Indira Banerjee while considering a batch of special leave petitions adjourned the hearing based on a letter circulated by one of the petitioners-- former power department joint secretary A Francis, who was acquitted in the SNC Lavalin case.
The special leave petitions including those filed by the CBI challenging the acquittal of the first accused K Mohana Chandran, former principal secretary of the electricity department who later became the KSEB chairman, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who is the seventh accused, and eighth accused Francis.
During the hearing, the bench also observed that the counsels should not seek adjournment on the next hearing date, considering the argument of Advocate Devdutt Kamat, appearing for Congress leader VM Sudheeran.
The incidents that led to the case date back to the 1996-97 period when Pinarayi Vijayan was the electricity minister in the then LDF government in Kerala. The case is about an agreement between Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and Canadian firm SNC-Lavalin for the renovation of three hydel power projects in Kerala.
According to the case, there were irregularities in the contract for renovating Panniyar, Chenkulam, and Pallivasal hydroelectric projects and this resulted in a loss of Rs 86.25 crore.
UNI JW JAL 1838