Supreme Court Adjourns Hearing In SNC Lavalin Case At CBI's Request

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the appeals filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenging the discharge of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other accused in the SNC Lavalin Case. 

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta adjourned the hearing following a request made on behalf of Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who represents the CBI.

The counsel representing the ASG submitted that the ASG was currently held up in another matter and requested an adjournment. 

The case is related to alleged corruption in the contract given to Canadian company SNC Lavalin for the renovation of hydro-electric projects in Kerala, when Pinarayi Vijayan was the electricity minister in 1996-98.

In November 2013, the Special CBI Court at Thiruvanathapuram discharged Pinarayi Vijayan and few other officials who were chargesheeted in the case.

In August 2017, the Kerala High Court upheld the discharge of Pinarayi Vijayan and the two other accused but allowed the CBI's plea against the discharge of 4 other accused.

Earlier the matter was before a division bench of Justice M R Shah and Justice C T Ravikumar. However, Justice C T Ravikumar, a former judge of the Kerala High Court, recused himself as he was part of the hearing before the Kerala High Court.

Case Title: Kasthuri Ranga v. State Rep. By Addl. Superintendent Of Police CBI And Ors. SLP(Crl) No. 7801/2017 and connected cases.