SC admits Vijayan's case in Lavalin scam

The Supreme Court today admitted a lawsuit by Communist Party of India-Marxist leader P Vijayan challenging the Kerala governor's order granting sanction to CBI to prosecute him for his role in a corruption case.

The Supreme Court on Monday admitted a lawsuit by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader P Vijayan challenging the Kerala governor's order granting sanction to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute him for his role in a corruption case.

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A bench of Justice RV Ravindran and Justice BS Sudarsan Reddy admitted Vijayan's lawsuit directly for hearing saying that it involves several important questions of law.

The questions included how much influence a ruling political party or its chief can impose upon its government.

Vijayan is accused of wrongfully awarding a contract to the Canadian company SNC Lavalin for renovating three power plants when he was the state power minister in 1997.

The charges against Vijayan were filed in the special court after Kerala Governor RS Gavai in June gave the go-ahead to the CBI to prosecute the Marxist leader.

The CBI had asked Vijayan to appear before the CBI court at Kochi Sep 24 in the Rs 374-crore SNC Lavalin scam, in which he is the seventh accused.