Pinarayi should face trial in Lavlin case, CBI to SC

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has to face investigation in the SNC- Lavlin case involving the award of contracts got the renovation of the three hydel power projects in the state.

The plea before the Supreme Court was made in a counter affidavit submitted before the apex court.

The CBI plea said that no tweaks could happen in the contract without the knowledge of Pinarayi, the then state Minister for power.

The contract which was awarded while Pinarayi was in Canada as the guest of SNC-Lavlin, had caused huge losses to the Kerala State Electricity Board.

The CBI said that the Kerala High Court did not look into the conspiracy angle in the case while acquitting him and two others off the case.

The agency had in its appeal sought an interim order quashing the High Court verdict.

There were strong and definite evidence against former power secretary K Mohanachandran, Pinarayi Vijayan and ex-joint secretary A Francis for their role in the deal.

The Kerala High Court, which had decided to examine certain matters related to the case during the trial stage, exonerated three accused even before the commencement of the trial, according to the CBI counsel.

The case pertains to an agreement with Canadian company SNC Lavlin in 1997, when Pinarayi was the state power Minister, to repair three generators which allegedly caused a loss of Rs 374 crore to the exchequer.

Pinarayi was arraigned by the CBI as the seventh accused in the case, leading to a political furore.

Though the contract was initiated during the UDF government's tenure, the final pact was signed when Pinarayi was the power Minister in the E K Nayanar Ministry.