Supreme Court stays investigation against Pinarayi Vijayan in the CMRL-Exalogic case for one week, allowing him to challenge FIR registration at Kerala HC.
SC Temporarily Halts Probe Against Former Kerala CM
The Supreme Court has stayed the investigation against former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the CMRL-Exalogic IT scam case for one week. The court, through a vacation bench comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, issued the interim order to allow Vijayan to pursue a challenge before a division bench of the Kerala High Court against a single-judge directive to register an FIR.
The case pertains to alleged financial irregularities in a contract between Cochin Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) and Exalogic Technologies. A lower court had directed registration of an FIR based on a private complaint, which Vijayan challenged, arguing lack of preliminary inquiry and mala fides. The Kerala High Court initially declined interim relief, prompting the appeal to the Supreme Court.
Implications for Political and Criminal Proceedings
The Supreme Court observed that the High Court acted hastily in proceeding with investigation without addressing preliminary legal questions. The stay underscores judicial restraint in politically sensitive cases involving public officials. Such interim measures are typically granted where irreparable harm may result from unbridaced criminal proceedings, especially before constitutional forums examine jurisdictional or procedural infirmities.Citations
- Pinarayi Vijayan v Adv KM Shajahan & ors
