Pinarayi Vijayan Moves Supreme Court in CMRL Bribery Case
Former Kerala CM challenges High Court order directing an FIR; Supreme Court indicates hearing after Dussehra break.
- Vijayan challenges Kerala High Court order in SC
- Former CM seeks protection from coercive action
- High Court rejected appeals by Vijayan and family
- ED alleges ₹2.78 crore payments to Exalogic Solutions
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 16th Oct: Former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday approached the Supreme Court challenging a Kerala High Court order directing the registration of an FIR in the alleged Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) bribery case. He has also sought protection from coercive action after an FIR was registered in the matter.
Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for Vijayan, mentioned the plea for urgent listing before Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. He informed the bench that the FIR had been registered and requested interim protection for the former chief minister.
The Chief Justice said the matter would be heard when the Supreme Court reopens on October 26 after the Dussehra break. He also indicated that a bench could be constituted during the court holidays next week, subject to the availability of judges.
The move comes a day after the Kerala High Court dismissed applications filed by Vijayan, his daughter Veena T and her husband, P A Mohamed Riyas, seeking permission to appeal against a single-judge order directing the registration of an FIR. The division bench held that an accused in a corruption case has no legal right to be heard before an FIR is registered.
On October 9, the High Court had directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to register a case based on a report submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the state police. The agency sought action on the basis of evidence gathered during its investigation and searches under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The ED has alleged that CMRL made fraudulent payments of ₹2.78 crore to Exalogic Solutions, a now-defunct company owned by Veena, under the guise of IT consultancy services. The allegations are part of the ongoing legal proceedings, and the claims remain subject to investigation and judicial scrutiny.
