CMRL-Exalogic payoff case: Kerala HC reserves order on plea seeking FIR against Pinarayi, daughter Veena, Riyas
The Kerala High Court has reserved its verdict on a petition demanding an FIR against Pinarayi Vijayan and his family members in the CMRL-Exalogic payoff case. The court is currently evaluating whether information provided by the Enforcement Directorate constitutes sufficient grounds to bypass a preliminary police inquiry.
Why it matters
The case involves high-profile political figures and raises significant legal questions regarding the procedural requirements for initiating criminal investigations based on ED findings.
The Kerala High Court on Wednesday (September 30, 2026) reserved its verdict in a petition seeking the registration of an FIR and investigation by the State Police Chief into the predicate offence found during an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe in the CMRL-Exalogic payoff case.
Justice A. Badharudeen reviewed the information passed by the ED to the State Police Chief and observed orally that the question of whether to conduct a preliminary inquiry before registering an FIR would have to be analysed on “a case-to-case basis.”
The court stated that the general principle was that a report or information provided by the ED under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) was “a substitute” for preliminary inquiry, which is usually used to find if there was any truth in the allegations.
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