News Desk: The Supreme Court on Friday indicated that it may constitute a special bench during the Dussehra vacation to hear a plea by former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking protection from arrest and other coercive action in an alleged corruption case linked to Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) and Exalogic Solutions.
Chief Justice of India Surya Kant made the observation after senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, representing Vijayan, sought an urgent hearing. Luthra argued that the matter concerned the personal liberty of the former chief minister, who is over 80 years old, and said he apprehended arrest.
The Chief Justice initially indicated that the plea could be heard on October 26 or 27, when the Supreme Court reopens after its Dussehra break. However, after Luthra pressed for an earlier hearing, the CJI said a special bench could be considered during the vacation, subject to the availability of judges.
The development comes a day after the Kerala High Court dismissed appeals filed by Vijayan, his daughter Veena T, and his son-in-law, former minister P A Mohamed Riyas, challenging an order directing the registration of first information reports (FIRs) against them in the alleged financial dealings involving CMRL and Exalogic Solutions.
On Thursday, a division bench of Justices K Natarajan and Johnson John rejected their appeals, observing that an accused person in a corruption case has no legal right to be heard before an FIR is registered. The court clarified, however, that the ruling did not prevent them from pursuing other constitutional or statutory remedies.
The FIRs were registered by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) following the High Court’s directions to investigate allegations of corruption and conspiracy involving payments made by CMRL and an associated concern to Exalogic and Veena.
According to the FIRs, Exalogic allegedly received ₹3 lakh per month, while Veena was paid ₹5 lakh monthly as a consultant, despite allegations that corresponding services were not provided. Vijayan has been named as the first accused in one FIR, while Riyas is the first accused in the other. Veena has been named as the second accused in both cases.
The allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial scrutiny. The Supreme Court’s decision on whether to constitute a special bench will determine when Vijayan’s plea is taken up for hearing and whether he receives interim protection from arrest or other coercive action.
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