Relief for Pinarayi Vijayan in monthly pay-off case; High Court stays Vigilance probe

KOCHI: In a relief to Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan, the Kerala High Court has stayed the Vigilance probe into the monthly pay-off case. The division bench stayed further proceedings stemming from a single bench order directing the registration of a bribery case against Pinarayi Vijayan and a hawala case against former minister Mohammed Riyas.

The division bench admitted the appeal filed by Pinarayi Vijayan challenging the single bench verdict. The order was issued by a bench comprising Justices T. Natarajan and Johnson John. The stay covers the Vigilance probe against Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena and son-in-law and MLA Mohammed Riyas in the CMRL-Exalogic case.

Earlier, another division bench had rejected the petitions seeking permission to appeal against the single-bench order. Following this, Pinarayi Vijayan and others approached the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court directed the High Court division bench to hear the appeals in detail, following which the matter came up for consideration.

Pinarayi Vijayan's advocate Hariharan argued that the single bench had passed its order without hearing the arguments of those, including Pinarayi Vijayan, against whom action was sought. The appeal hearing will begin on November 25. The court directed the ED and the Vigilance Bureau to file their replies within four weeks.

Responding to the division bench's order, Pinarayi Vijayan said he had faith in the legal system and that the law would take its own course.