Pinarayi Vijayan moves SC against HC order to lodge FIR in CMRL bribery case

Former Keralam Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has moved the Supreme Court to challenge a High Court order requiring the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) in a bribery case involving the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL). Appearing for Mr. Vijayan, legal counsel Sidharth Luthra requested an urgent listing before a Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, citing the registration of an FIR against the former CM and his family members.

The High Court dismissed the pleas filed by Mr. Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena, and son-in-law Mohamed Riyas, ruling that an accused in a corruption case does not have a legal right to be heard before an FIR is registered. The High Court held that since the applications were dismissed, any subsequent appeals on the same matter were also dismissed.

The Enforcement Directorate had filed a report alleging fraudulent payments by CMRL to Ms. Veena's defunct company, Exalogic Solutions, under the pretext of IT consultancy services.