Kochi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday filed a chargesheet against senior CPI-M leader Pinarayi Vijayan and eight others for alleged corruption in awarding contracts to a Canadian company in 1998.
Vijayan, who was the state’s power minister in 1997, has been charged with criminal conspiracy and cheating.
The names of the two accused Mathew Roy and V Rajagopal, both former Kerala State Electricity Board officials, have been deleted as both of them have died, CBI officials said.
The chargesheet was filed in the Special CBI court at Ernakulam. The case involved alleged irregularities in awarding the contracts to the Canadian firm SNC-Lavalin when Vijayan was Minister for Power in 1998.
It has been filed days after Governor R S Gavai gave sanction to CBI to prosecute Vijayan in the case overruling the state cabinet recommendation.
The case widened the rift within the CPI-M state unit with Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan expressing his tacit backing for the Governor's decision.
Vijayan is accused of wrongfully awarding a contract to Canadian company SNC Lavalin for renovation of two power plants when he was the state power minister in 1997.
Comments
0 comment