CMRL-Exalogic case: Former Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan moves SC to stay police action

New Delhi: Former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday petitioned the Supreme Court in an urgent bid to freeze police investigation proceedings linked to the CMRL-Exalogic financial payoff controversy. The legal motion was logged early on 16 October under diary number 65479/2026. Senior counsel Sidharth Luthra brought the matter before a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, informing the judges that a First Information Report had already been registered against the veteran politician. With the apex court preparing to close for its annual Dussehra break, Vijayan requested immediate protection from any coercive enforcement action while contesting the state judiciary's mandate for a formal corruption enquiry.

Urgent petition seeking relief before holiday recess

The top court move follows a sharp setback in the High Court of Kerala, which turned down appeals from Vijayan, his daughter Veena T, and his son-in-law Mohammed Riyas. The High Court ruled that suspects named in financial corruption matters possess no automatic legal entitlement to a prior hearing before police register a case. Addressing the urgent plea, Chief Justice Surya Kant indicated that the matter would be taken up on 26 October once regular court proceedings resume. However, the top judge added that a special holiday bench could potentially be assembled during the recess if judges were available to sit.

Controversy over private firm transfers and investigation steps

The legal dispute traces back to findings compiled by federal investigators at the Enforcement Directorate. The agency alleged that public company Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited transferred monthly sums—totalling between ₹1.72 crore and ₹2.78 crore—to Exalogic Solutions, an enterprise linked to Vijayan's daughter, without any actual IT services being rendered. Following discoveries of potential illicit money transfers, federal officials formally asked state police in September to launch a criminal investigation under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Although state authorities initially sought a preliminary Crime Branch enquiry, the High Court directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to proceed straight to registering an FIR, prompting Vijayan's swift appeal to the nation's top court.