\New Delhi: The SNC-Lavalin case, which rocked the foundations of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in Kerala, comes up for hearing in the Supreme Court on Monday.
The court will hear CPI-M's state Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan's petition that challenges Kerala Governor RS Gavai's order giving sanction to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute him in the corruption case.
Following Governor Gavai's sanction the CBI had on July 11 filed a chargesheet against Vijayan and eight others for alleged corruption in awarding contracts to the Canadian company in 1998.
His plea has been transferred to the criminal writ section after the court found that a personal complaint had been included in the petition.
Initially the apex court had returned Vijayan's petition as neither Governor Gavai nor the CBI was listed as a respondent. But when his petition was included under the PIL category, Vijayan named the CBI as a respondent.
The SNC-Lavalin case pertained to alleged corruption and irregularities in awarding contract for renovation of three hydro-electric projects-Panniyanr, Chenkulam and Pallivasal-to Canadian firm SNC-Lavalin when Vijayan was Kerala's Power Minister in 1998.
The scam is reported to be biggest in Kerala and involves Rs 375 crore. It is also the first time a Politburo member and a CPI-M state secretary has been charged with corruption.
Except Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan the rest of the CPI-M has been backing Vijayan. Vijayan's political future, however, will depend on the outcome of the case.
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