Thiruvananthapuram, June 7
In a major jolt to CPM in the politically sensitive SNC-Lavalin graft case, Kerala Governor RS Gavai today gave sanction to CBI to prosecute party’s state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, overruling the Cabinet recommendation against it.
The CPM-led LDF government had told the Governor not to permit prosecution of Vijayan, holding that there was not enough evidence against him, but the CBI had stuck to its guns that there were enough grounds to proceed against Vijayan.
The government’s recommendation was based on legal opinion of state Advocate General CP Sudhakara Prasad that there was no evidence to prosecute Vijayan regarding alleged corruption and irregularities in awarding contracts for renovation of three hydro-electric projects to Canadian company SNC-Lavalin when he was Power Minister in 1998.
CBI Additional Superintendent of Police Premkumar received the letter giving sanction to prosecute Vijayan, the Central agency sources here said.
Finding irregularities in awarding the contract which had resulted in huge loss to the exchequer, the CBI wanted to arraign Vijayan as the ninth accused in the case.
Reacting sharply to the Governor’s action, CPM termed it as unfortunate and stuck to the stand that it was politically motivated.
Alleging that the Congress-led UDF and anti-CPM forces were putting pressure on Governor, the party said Gavai’s overruling the state cabinet recommendation was unfortunate.
— PTI
