The Kerala High Court’s Division Bench on Monday put on hold a single judge’s directive to register an FIR against former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena T and son-in-law P.A. Muhammed Riyas in the CMRL–Exalogic case.
The bench, comprising Justices K. Natarajan and Johnson John, also suspended the operation of the FIRs registered by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) and ordered a halt to further investigation until the appeals are decided.
The court admitted the appeals filed by Vijayan, Veena and Riyas against the single judge’s ruling, noting that the issues involved needed detailed examination. The matter will be heard next on November 25.
Senior counsel Sidharth Luthra, representing the appellants, submitted that the single judge had issued the directive without hearing their side, thereby denying them an opportunity to present their case.
The challenged ruling called for a corruption case to be registered against the appellants and others under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, following a communication from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
He also argued that the portions of the ED’s communication quoted in the single judge’s ruling contained no statement from any person to prove that such transactions had taken place. His petition stated that the alleged payments were made by CMRL to a private consultant and her company and could not be considered benefits given to him.
Although the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Pinarayi Vijayan are at the centre of the legal battle, the case has a wider political context. The ED has faced allegations of acting in the BJP’s interests and targeting opposition leaders across the country. In Kerala, several opposition parties have sought to politically weaken Vijayan, prompting suspicions among some that the central agency’s actions against him may also have a political dimension.
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