CMRL case: Chennithala sees SC order as vindication for UDF govt, CPM says it upholds rule of law
Kerala leaders welcomed the Supreme Court granting a seven-day stay on the Vigilance probe into the CMRL-Exalogic bribery case, allowing the accused to appeal against the order directing an FIR registration.
Kerala leaders welcomed the Supreme Court granting a seven-day stay on the Vigilance probe into the CMRL-Exalogic bribery case, allowing the accused to appeal against the order directing an FIR registration.
Kerala leaders welcomed the Supreme Court granting a seven-day stay on the Vigilance probe into the CMRL-Exalogic bribery case, allowing the accused to appeal against the order directing an FIR registration.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the Supreme Court's order temporarily staying the Vigilance probe in the CMRL–Exalogic case vindicated the state government's stand, while CPM state secretary M V Govindan welcomed the verdict, saying it upheld the rule of law.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday held that former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter T Veena and son-in-law P A Muhammad Riyas were entitled to appeal before a division bench of the Kerala High Court against a single judge's direction to register an FIR in the alleged bribery case involving Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) and Exalogic Solutions Pvt. Ltd. It also ordered a seven-day stay on the investigation to enable the appellate proceedings.
Chennithala said the order vindicated the state government's decision to examine the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) communication carefully and initiate legal proceedings without unnecessary haste.
The government had initially opted for a preliminary inquiry before registering an FIR, he said. However, it had to comply with the Kerala High Court single bench's October 9 order directing the registration of an FIR without a preliminary inquiry.
Chennithala noted that the Supreme Court had not ordered the cancellation of the FIR and said the Vigilance case therefore remained in place. The temporary stay, he added, would allow the petitioners to present their arguments before the division bench. The government maintained that the law should take its course, he said.
Govindan, meanwhile, described the case against Vijayan and other CPM leaders as fabricated, saying the party had opposed it from the outset and would continue to fight it both legally and politically.
He welcomed the Supreme Court's intervention, saying it had set aside the High Court orders that rejected the petitioners' requests to appeal against the direction to register an FIR. He also cited the apex court's remarks on the ED's powers and its questions about the single judge's approach to ordering an investigation.
The Supreme Court was hearing petitions filed by Vijayan, Veena and Riyas challenging the Kerala High Court's October 15 order rejecting their applications for permission to appeal against the October 9 direction to register an FIR. The High Court held that an accused in a corruption case has no legal right to be heard before an FIR is registered.
A special bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana heard the petitions during the court's Dussehra vacation.
Following the High Court's direction, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau's Special Investigation Unit-1 registered two FIRs against Vijayan and his family members. The action was based on a report submitted by the ED to the state police.
The ED had sought a case based on evidence gathered during its investigation and searches under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. It alleged that CMRL made fraudulent payments totalling ₹2.78 crore to Veena's now-defunct company, Exalogic Solutions, under the guise of IT consultancy services. The allegations are yet to be established in court.