Supreme Court to Deliberate SNC-Lavalin Case Involving Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan
The SNC-Lavalin case, a longstanding legal saga entwining Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, is set to be scrutinized by the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Headed by Justice Surya Kant, the bench will delve into the intricacies of the decade-old case, which has posed challenges for Chief Minister Vijayan in the past and has been listed over 31 times across four benches of the apex court in the last six years.
At the core of the matter is the plea filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against the 2017 High Court verdict that exonerated Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Energy Department Secretary K.A Francis. The apex court will weigh the arguments and evidence to determine the validity of the acquittal.
In addition to this, the Supreme Court will also entertain a plea submitted by former electrical board financial advisor K.G. Rajasekharan Nair, former chairman of the board R Sivadasan, and former Chief Engineer Kasturi Ranga Iyer. All three are currently awaiting trial proceedings in connection with the SNC-Lavalin case.
The intricacies of the case trace back to the awarding of a contract to Canadian company SNC Lavalin for the renovation of three hydel projects – Chengulam, Pallivasal, and Panniyar. The alleged irregularities in the contract, dating back to Pinarayi Vijayan’s tenure as the power minister in the EK Nayanar cabinet between 1996 and 1998, are claimed to have resulted in a financial loss of Rs 86.25 crore.
As the Supreme Court takes up the case, it marks another significant juncture in the prolonged legal battle surrounding the SNC-Lavalin controversy.
