New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear tomorrow the CBI's appeal against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in SNC-Lavalin corruption case.
Posting the matter on Thursday, a bench headed by Justice NV Ramana, during the brief hearing, expressed displeasure over requests for repeated adjournment.
"You mention this matter before the Chief Justice for listing and then seek adjournment...this is not done," the judge told the lawyers, who represented some of the other accused in this case.
Representing the CBI, senior advocate Geeta Luhtra, however, requested the matter be heard tomorrow or day after, after which the Court fixed Thursday for hearing.
CBI had moved against Vijayan's discharge by the Kerala High Court in the SNC-Lavalin corruption case.
The criminal case concerns the renovation and refurbishment of three hydro electric projects — the Pallivasal, Sengulam and Panniar projects — and contracts/transactions between the Kerala State Electricity Board and SNC Lavalin, a Canadian entity.
The HC had noted Vijayan cannot be prosecuted in the absence of “strong and definite material and circumstances to show that he had some sort of unholy nexus with the SNC Lavalin or the other accused".
But the CBI has alleged that Vijayan, who was then Kerala Electricity Minister, wrongly entered into contracts with SNC Lavalin in February 1997 without any expert feasibility study or technical reports.
It had alleged that there was neither any global tender called for the projects nor fixation of rates.
It has pointed out that Vijayan and two others were exonerated in the case without a clear finding to point out the reasons for their discharge. The CBI said its chargesheet pointed to a collective responsibility of all the accused persons, including Vijayan.
Comments
0 comment