New Delhi: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Wednesday a plea by former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan challenging a Kerala High Court order directing the registration of an FIR against him in the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL)-Exalogic case.
A vacation bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana will hear the matter. Besides Vijayan, his daughter Veena T and son-in-law Muhammed Riyas, a former minister and CPI(M) state secretariat member, have also approached the court.
On October 9, a single-judge bench of the Kerala High Court directed the state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to register an FIR against Vijayan, Veena, Riyas and others over alleged illegal payments to Veena's IT firm. The bureau had booked them under the Prevention of Corruption Act, alleging that CMRL paid a bribe of ₹3.28 crore to Exalogic Solutions, disguised as consultation charges. A division bench later dismissed their plea seeking permission to appeal.
Appearing for Vijayan, senior advocate Siddharth Luthra had cited the risk of arrest, saying an 82-year-old man could be taken into custody. The Enforcement Directorate has separately summoned Vijayan for questioning on October 23. The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that CMRL made fraudulent payments of about ₹2.78 crore to Exalogic Solutions under the guise of IT consultancy. Vijayan's counsel has argued that the FIR creates a risk of arrest for an 82-year-old man and urged the court to protect him while the plea is heard. The case has sharpened political tensions in Kerala. The court's order is awaited.