KOCHI /T’PURAM/KANNUR: The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned to April 6 the hearing of the appeal filed by CBI challenging the acquittal of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and two others in the multi-crore SNC-Lavalin scam. This is the 27th time the SC is adjourning the case following CBI’s request seeking time to argue the matter in detail. CBI had sought adjournment till next week and requested a full day’s hearing, pointing out that the matter was listed for final hearing.
The court also adjourned the Special Leave Petitions filed by the accused — K G Rajasekharan Nair, former chief accounts officer of KSEB (second accused), R Sivadasan, former chairman of KSEB (third accused) and Kasthuri Ranga Iyer, the then chief engineer of KSEB (fourth accused) -- challenging the Kerala High Court order directing them to face trial to find whether they had made any gain, or whether they had an unholy nexus with SNC Lavalin to provide unlawful gain to the company.
Responding to the development, KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran alleged that the case is postponed repeatedly because of a secret pact between the CPM and the BJP. “That CBI is yet to submit its arguments in writing, as requested by the court, is suspicious. The CBI and the Modi Government are working hand in glove. People are aware of those playing compromise politics,” he said in Thiruvananthapuram.
While the CBI had earlier maintained that the Lavalin case should be considered a case of utmost importance, now the same agency has taken a dramatic U-turn with the connivance of the CPM and the BJP, Mullappally said. Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala said no person can be blamed for saying there is an “unholy nexus” between the CPM and the BJP.
BJP state president K Surendran said in Kannur that the history of compromise politics in Kerala between the LDF and the UDF in connection with corruption cases began with the Lavalin case. He said top Congress leaders, including A K Antony, had helped Pinarayi save his face. As a token of gratitude, Pinarayi had helped Congress by scuttling vigilance investigations against its ministers, Surendran alleged.
Leave petitions adjourned
The court also adjourned the Special Leave Petitions filed by the accused — K G Rajasekharan Nair, R Sivadasan and Kasthuri Ranga Iyer — challenging the Kerala HC order