Vigilance to file FIR against Pinarayi, others in CMRL-Exalogic pay-off case: Keralam Home Minister Chennithala

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) will register a first information report (FIR) in the CMRL-Exalogic pay-off case against Leader of the Opposition in Keralam Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan and others following a Kerala High Court directive, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters in Muvattupuzha, the Home Minister said the government would honour the court’s order, and not file any appeal against it.

“VACB will file an FIR on Monday in compliance with the court’s verdict,” he said. Asked if a special investigation team (SIT) will be constituted, Mr. Chennithala said it is up to the VACB director to decide that.

‘A measured approach’

Mr. Chennithala reiterated that the government had adopted a measured approach by seeking a preliminary inquiry into the bribery allegation based on legal advice. “Now, the court has ruled that such an inquiry was unnecessary. We will honour it,” he said.

Mr. Chennithala said the High Court’s verdict has proven wrong the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]’s argument that the case would not stand in any court.

The Kerala High Court on Friday directed the VACB to register an FIR against Mr. Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena, and his son-in-law and MLA P.A. Mohamed Riyas in the CMRL-Exalogic pay-off case.

Mr. Chennithala also rubbished the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s claim that the defeat of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the State Assembly elections was linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

“It is the people who undermined the 10-year misrule of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government through their ballot. Nobody, including those who lost the election, has not raised objections to the election results,” he said.