ED summons ex-Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan in bribery case
What's the story
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned former Kerala chief minister and CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan for questioning in the Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL)-Exalogic case. The questioning is scheduled for next week. This comes after Vijayan moved the Supreme Court challenging a Kerala High Court order that directed the registration of an FIR in an alleged bribery case.
Legal challenge
Plea to be heard when SC reopens on October 26
Vijayan's lawyer, Sidharth Luthra, had sought urgent listing of the plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.
The Chief Justice indicated that the matter could be heard when the Supreme Court reopens on October 26 after the Dussehra break.
He also said he may constitute a vacation bench next week, depending on judges' availability.
Court decision
Accused in corruption case has no legal right
On Thursday, a division bench of the Kerala High Court dismissed applications filed by Vijayan, his daughter Veena T, and her husband P A Mohamed Riyas.
The court held that an accused in a corruption case has no legal right to be heard before an FIR is registered.
The bench dismissed their applications after they argued they weren't heard by the single judge before issuing the FIR registration direction.
Fraud claims
What the High Court said
On October 9, the High Court directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to register a case based on an ED report submitted to the state police.
The ED sought registration of a case based on evidence gathered during its investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The agency alleged that CMRL made fraudulent payments of ₹2.78 crore to Veena's now-defunct company, Exalogic Solutions, disguised as IT consultancy services.