Graft case: HC dismisses impleaded pleas by private parties

The Kerala High Court today dismissed petitions filed by private parties seeking a direction to implead themselves in theSNC-Lavalin revision petition against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Considering the applications, Justice B Kemal Pasha said the revision petition filed by CBI alone will be considered by the court.
The court also granted two months time to CBI to engage Additional Solicitor General, Paramjit Singh Patwalia, to argue the SNC-Lavalin case.
CBI had filed an application before the High Court yesterday seeking postponement of the hearing in the case for two months.
The revision petition was filed against a CBI special court order in November 2013, discharging Vijayan and six others from the case relating to alleged loss of Rs 374.50 crore caused by them to state exchequer in the award of contract to Canadian firm SNC Lavalin for renovating three hydel projects in the state.

The previous Congress-led UDF government had alleged that it was Vijayan who finalized the deal with the Canadian firm when he was the Electricity Minister in E K Nayanar-led LDF government in 1996.
In February this year, the High Court had rejected a plea by the then state government for an early hearing of CBI's revision petition challenging the acquittal of Vijayan.
CPI(M) had come out publicly against the then Congress-led UDF government, alleging that it wanted early hearing to build a case against the party and its leader Vijayan for political reasons.