Former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Challenges High Court FIR Order in Supreme Court
Pinarayi Vijayan told the Supreme Court the high court’s FIR directive was issued without his hearing, citing only his daughter’s role at Exalogic as a link.
Former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan appeared before a vacation bench of the Supreme Court, asserting that the Kerala high court’s order to register a criminal case against him was passed without any hearing or material linking him to the alleged Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited-Exalogic payoff. Vijayan said his only connection is that his daughter Veena served as a director of Exalogic Solutions. The high court order followed a petition by lawyer KM Shajahan after the Enforcement Directorate asked police to probe irregular payments of ₹2.72 crore from the state-run CMRL to Exalogic between 2017 and 2020.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has subsequently booked Vijayan, his daughter and son-in-law PA Mohammed Riyas under the Prevention of Corruption Act, while they have filed appeals against the FIR registration. Vijayan highlighted that similar accusations were dismissed at every stage, including by the Supreme Court in October 2025, and argued that the petition was a public-interest litigation filed by a stranger and driven by political motives. He warned that a court cannot order an FIR without impleading the accused and that the matter should have been heard by a larger bench.
Why it matters
The outcome will shape how former political leaders can be compelled to face criminal probes without prior hearing, affecting accountability standards.
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