No Appeal Against HC Order, Says Satheesan on FIR Against Vijayan in CMRL Case

Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Friday said his government would comply with the Kerala High Court's direction to register an FIR against former chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his family in the alleged CMRL bribery case, ruling out an appeal against the order.

Addressing a press conference after a cabinet meeting, Satheesan said the government had sought legal advice before deciding to order a preliminary inquiry into allegations flagged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

“When the government received information from the ED to register a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Vijayan, his daughter Veena T and her husband P A Mohamed Riyas, we did not act with undue haste or personal vendetta,” he said.

Satheesan explained that the government had acted on legal advice citing a Supreme Court judgment that permits a preliminary inquiry to establish facts in corruption cases. However, the High Court ruled on Friday that the government's decision to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) without registering an FIR was illegal.

Justice A Badharudeen directed the director of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB), Thiruvananthapuram, to register an FIR forthwith based on information provided by the ED under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The court observed that the agency's report contained sufficient preliminary material indicating cognisable offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act against the three individuals named in it.

The ED has sought registration of a case based on evidence gathered during its investigation and searches under the money laundering law. It has alleged that Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) paid Rs 2.78 crore to Veena's now-defunct company, Exalogic Solutions, under the guise of IT consultancy services.

Asked whether the investigation would cover United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders allegedly receiving contributions from CMRL, Satheesan said the court had made it clear that a probe could not be ordered merely on the basis of diary entries.

“The law will take its own course,” he said.