The Supreme Court on Thursday put on hold the trial in the SNC Lavalin case until further orders, and accepted the Central Bureau of Investigation’s plea against discharging Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan from the corruption charges, The Hindu reported.
A bench of Justice NV Ramana and Justice Abdul Nazeer also issued a notice to Vijayan in the case.
The central investigation agency’s plea challenged the August 2017 Kerala High Court order, which said Vijayan need not face charges in the graft case as there was insufficient evidence against him. Two others officials, K Mohanachandran and A Francis, were also discharged from the case.
The CBI had told the high court that Vijayan and six other officials were involved in giving Canadian firm SNC-Lavalin a contract to repair three hydroelectric projects in Kerala at a higher cost. The CBI also accused Vijayan, who was then power minister, of swindling Rs 375 crore from the state.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court bench asked the CBI its response to the pleas of the three other people accused in the case. M Kasthuriranga Iyer, KG Rajasekharan Nair and R Sivadasan had asked why they were not discharged, when Vijayan and the other two were.
“I have a problem with the release of some accused alone,” Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court, according to The Hindu. “For once, we both [CBI and accused] agree,” senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and R Basant, appearing for the other accused, said.
Mehta said the case needed to be reheard and the Supreme Court must intervene, the Financial Express reported.
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