The Central Bureau of Investigation has filed an affidavit in Supreme Court saying that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should face trial in the SNC-Lavalin corruption case.
The Kerala High Court in August acquitted Vijayan of all corruption charges in the case saying the CBI had insufficient evidence against him. The CBI’s affidavit challenged the High Court verdict.
The case pertains to a contract awarded to a Canadian company SNC-Lavalin for renovation and modernisation of three hydel power projects in Idukki district when Vijayan was the power minister in 1997. The CBI accused Vijayan of swindling Rs 375 crore from the state.
The CBI in its affidavit submitted on Saturday said that no tweaks could happen in the contract without Vijayan’s knowledge, Manorama News reported.
In January, the Supreme Court accepted the CBI’s plea against discharging Vijayan from the corruption charges and issued a notice to the chief minister and two others accused in the case. The agency had submitted in the Supreme Court that the Kerala High Court endorsed the acquittal without looking into the conspiracy angle.
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