The Kerala High Court upheld the Trial Court judgement acquitting Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of all charges in the controversial SNC-Lavalin case on Wednesday, August 23. The HC judge P Ubaid, while rejecting the revision petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), said the CM was made a scapegoat by the CBI.
The latest court ruling means the three accused including the CM will no longer have to face trial in the case.
Supreme Court senior advocate Harish Salve appeared for Pinarayi Vijayan in the Kerala court in April 2017.
In March 2017, the HC had directed the CBI to furnish details of the controversial hydroelectric project signed by Pinarayi two decades ago.
What is SNC Lavalin case?
The hydroelectric contract between Kerala and the Canadian company SNC-Lavlin for renovating three hydel projects -- Pallivasal, Sengulam, and Panniar -- led to an alleged financial loss of Rs 374.5 crore to the state exchequer when Pinarayi was the power minister in the LDF government led by EK Nayanar. Seven people were accused of hatching a criminal conspiracy to make political gains by handing over the contract, signed by Pinarayi in 1995.
A high-level team including Pinarayi had even travelled to Canada to hold a discussion with the executives of the company and proposed to provide fund for setting up Malabar Cancer Centre. As per the contract, the company was supposed to pay Rs 98.3 crore to the hospital, instead, it received only Rs 8.98 crore.
