Keralam government to examine court order against Pinarayi Vijayan

Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said on October 9 that the government would examine a High Court order requiring a corruption case against Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan and members of his family before deciding its next legal steps.

Speaking to reporters at the c0c0n 2026 cybersecurity conference in Kochi, Chennithala rejected the suggestion that the ruling was a setback for the UDF government. He said the authorities had acted on legal advice throughout and would review the latest order without delay.

The High Court directed the registration of a first information report, or FIR, incorporating offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The direction concerns Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena and his son-in-law, CPI(M) politician P.A. Mohamed Riyas, over alleged payments in the CMRL–Exalogic case. The Hindu describes it as a ₹1.72-crore payment case, equivalent to 17.2 million rupees. An order to register a case does not establish guilt.

Chennithala said a special investigation team had been set up after the government obtained advice on how to respond to an Enforcement Directorate report sent to the State Police Chief. The report came under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. According to the minister, the High Court petition was considered while the team was already carrying out its procedures.

He cited the approach to preliminary examination of complaints laid down in Lalita Kumari v. Government of Uttar Pradesh. He said the government had followed those guidelines and would now study the High Court’s position before taking the appropriate legal steps.

Asked about the Congress’s criticism of Enforcement Directorate investigations involving opposition politicians, Chennithala said the UDF government had not rushed to act on the central agency’s report. It had first sought a legal assessment.

Reporters also asked about possible complaints against UDF figures whose names allegedly appear in a diary attributed to Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited managing director S. Sasidharan Kartha as recipients of payments. The minister responded that such complaints could be brought.