KOCHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday will consider the appeal filed by CBI challenging the acquittal of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and two others in the alleged multi-crore SNC-Lavalin scam.
The court has also listed the Special Leave Petitions filed by the accused — K G Rajasekharan Nai, R Sivadasan and Kasthuri Ranga Iyer, former chief accounts officer, former chairman and the then chief engineer, respectively, of KSEB — challenging the Kerala High Court order directing them to face trial to find out whether they had made any gains, or whether they had their own interest or unholy nexus with SNC-Lavalin to cause unlawful gains for the company.
The bench comprising Justice U U Lalit, Justice Vineet Saran and Justice S Ravindra Bhat will consider the case. The corruption case concerns the loss of Rs86.25 crore caused to the exchequer in the KSEB contract signed with Canadian company SNC-Lavalin for the modernisation and renovation of Pallivasal, Sengulam, and Panniar (PSP) hydroelectric projects in Idukki when Pinarayi was the electricity minister from 1996 to 1998.
While acquitting the remaining accused, the High Court had earlier found that three persons, including seventh accused Pinarayi Vijayan, had no direct role in the making of the consultancy contracts or the supply contracts.
In its appeal, CBI has submitted before the Supreme Court that the High Court order acquitting the other accused was illegal and they should face trial. The SC has also listed the petition filed by Congress leader V M Sudheeran challenging the High Court order for Wednesday.