Kerala High Court clears way for FIR against CM Vijayan in ED graft probe

The Kerala High Court has granted permission to register a First Information Report (FIR) against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan following the Enforcement Directorate's report in an alleged bribery case related to Cochin Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) dealings. The court's order came on a petition filed by advocate K M Shajahan, who contended that police should proceed with registering a formal FIR rather than conducting a preliminary inquiry into the allegations.

The ED's investigation had raised concerns about potential irregularities in CMRL transactions, with the bribery allegations forming a key aspect of the probe. Shajahan's petition argued that the gravity of the allegations and the ED's findings warranted the immediate registration of an FIR, bypassing the preliminary inquiry stage that police had preferred to undertake.

The High Court's decision to allow the FIR registration represents a significant development in the case, which has drawn considerable attention given the involvement of the state's chief minister. The court's order effectively overrides the police's initial reluctance to file a formal FIR at this juncture. The next steps in the investigation will now proceed under the framework of an official First Information Report, which typically leads to more formal police investigation procedures.

The CMRL bribery case has been subject to scrutiny by multiple agencies, with the ED's involvement highlighting concerns about financial irregularities. The matter now moves into a new phase with the formal registration of the FIR, potentially accelerating the investigative process.