Kerala HC defers hearing of Lavalin case for a month

The Kerala High Court today deferred the hearing of SNC-Lavalin graft case for a month to facilitate appearance of Additional Solicitor General Paramjit Singh Patwalia.
In June, the court had granted two months time to CBI to engage the Additional Solicitor General to argue the case.
Justice B Kemal Pasha passed the order after considering a plea made by CBI in this regard.
A revision petition was filed against a CBI special court order in November 2013, discharging Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and six others from the case relating to alleged loss of Rs 374.50 crore caused to the state exchequer in the award of contract to Canadian firm SNC Lavalin for renovating three hydel projects in Kerala.

The previous Congress-led UDF government had alleged that it was Vijayan who finalised the deal with the Canadian firm when he was the Electricity Minister in E K Nayanar-led LDF government in 1996.