SC sets aside Kerala HC order in CMRL payoff case, stays FIR probe for 7 days

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (October 21, 2026) set aside a Kerala High Court Division Bench order refusing former Kerala Chief Minister and current Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena and son-in-law and former Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas leave to appeal against a Single Judge’s direction to register an FIR against them in the ₹278-crore Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL)-Exalogic payoff case.

A Bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana also stayed the investigation into the FIR for seven days as interim relief to the three petitioners.

The FIR was directed to be registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, by a Single Judge of the Kerala High Court. Mr. Vijayan had contended that he was neither a party to the proceedings nor heard by the Single Judge before the direction to register the FIR was issued.

The Supreme Court clarified that it had made no observations on the merits of the FIR. It also refrained from expressing any opinion on the validity of a subsequent Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) registered against the petitioners.

The Bench, however, granted the petitioners liberty to challenge the ECIR before the appropriate forum in accordance with the law.