Kerala HC questions state probe after ED flags CMRL bribery
The Kerala High Court is raising eyebrows over the state government's move to start a probe into an alleged bribery case linked to Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL).
The investigation began after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) flagged possible corruption involving Pinarayi Vijayan and his daughter Veena T, with the trio now seeking leave to appeal against an order from October 9 that called for a police case (FIR) against them.
Pinarayi Vijayan seeks larger bench
The main issue: Was it fair to launch this inquiry without letting Vijayan and his family have their say first?
The Advocate General argued it was needed to check out the ED's claims, like CMRL allegedly paying ₹2.78 crore to Veena's company.
But Vijayan and co. say they weren't given a chance to respond before things escalated, so they're asking for a bigger bench since this is such a high-profile matter.
The court wants answers from the state, with the hearing to continue in the post-lunch session.