The Supreme Court of India has slated May 1, 2024, as the date for the final hearing in the SNC Lavalin case, a long-standing legal saga that implicates Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and several other officials. The appeal, filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), challenges the discharge of Vijayan and certain officials in connection with alleged corruption surrounding a contract awarded to the Canadian company SNC Lavalin for the renovation of hydro-electric projects in Kerala dating back to 1996-98.

The bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan adjourned the hearing on Tuesday after considering various factors, including the designation of Advocates-on-Record (AoRs) as Senior Advocates, necessitating the engagement of new representatives. Senior Advocate Devadatt Kamat, representing Congress leader and former Kerala Opposition Leader VM Sudheeran, opposed the adjournment, citing the numerous postponements the case has already faced.

Kamat alleged that the CBI has exhibited a lack of interest in the matter, leading to multiple delays, a claim countered by Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who affirmed the CBI's commitment to pursuing the case diligently.

Ragenth Basant, representing another accused party, clarified that Sudheeran was not a party to the case and suggested his submissions were meant for external audiences. The bench acknowledged the need for engaging new AoRs due to recent designations and agreed to schedule the final hearing for May 1, 2024, after rejecting a request for an earlier date in March or April due to scheduling constraints.

The case stems from allegations of corruption surrounding a contract awarded to SNC Lavalin for the refurbishment of three hydro-electric projects in Kerala during Vijayan's tenure as Minister of Power. The CBI contends that the contract, which occurred between 1996 and 1998, resulted in a loss of Rs. 86 crores to the state exchequer. Despite Vijayan and several officials being discharged by a Special CBI Court in Thiruvananthapuram in November 2013, the legal battle persisted, culminating in the Kerala High Court's decision to uphold Vijayan's discharge while permitting the CBI's appeal against the discharge of four others in 2017.

In response, the CBI, along with the officials not discharged in the case, including former Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) Chief Account Officer K.G. Rajasekharan Nair, former KSEB Chairman R Sivadasan, and former KSEB Chief Engineer Kasthuri Ranga Iyer, approached the Supreme Court. The Court has granted leave to appeal in both the CBI's appeal and the petitions filed by Nair, Sivadasan, and Iyer.

Case: Kasthuri Ranga Iyer v. State represented by Addl. Superintendent of Police CBI and Ors, 

SLP(Crl) No. 7801/2017.