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CMRL-Exalogic case

Kerala High Court bench refuses Pinarayi Vijayan permission to appeal the FIR order

15 Oct 2026 · 2 outlets · 1 min read

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In 30 seconds
  1. A two-judge bench dismissed the three accused persons' requests to appeal the FIR order.
  2. It held that an accused has no right to be heard, or to a preliminary inquiry, before an FIR in a corruption case.
  3. The BJP asked Vijayan to quit as Opposition Leader; the CPI(M) called the case politically motivated.

On 15 October 2026, a Kerala High Court division bench of Justices K. Natarajan and Johnson John refused Vijayan, Veena and Riyas permission to appeal the 9 October order. The bench held that "an accused in a corruption case has no legal right to be heard before registering the FIR" and agreed that ED's material disclosed offences. The BJP welcomed the ruling. The CPI(M) said the case was false and politically motivated.

Checked

Claim by claim

✓Verified

An accused in a corruption case has no legal right to be heard before an FIR is registered.

Said by Kerala High Court division bench

LiveLaw and PTI report this as the bench's holding. Vijayan argues in the Supreme Court that the bench went further than needed by also commenting on the merits.

LiveLaw · ThePrint (PTI)
?Unverified

The case is a planned move by ED and the UDF government to attack Vijayan and the Left.

Said by M.V. Govindan, CPI(M) state secretary

This is a claim about motive with no published supporting evidence. The government says it acted according to law.

ThePrint (PTI)
In their own words

What each side says

BJP and Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan

Both welcomed the order. BJP leader Shone George said Vijayan should resign as Leader of the Opposition.

ThePrint (PTI)
CPI(M)

Govindan said the party would respond politically and legally after studying the judgment, and called the case false and politically motivated.

ThePrint (PTI)
Kerala government

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the order was not a setback because the government had acted in accordance with law and not out of vendetta.

ThePrint (PTI)
Honest gaps

Not yet known

  • ?Whether the Supreme Court will agree that the division bench should not have commented on the merits.
Who reported this

Sources

Centre · 2

2 outlets across the spectrum. Leanings are a rough guide to who reported it, not a verdict on accuracy.

  1. LiveLawKerala High Court Rejects Former CM Pinarayi Vijayan's Plea To Challenge Vigilance FIR Direction In CMRL-Exalogic Case
  2. ThePrint (PTI)CMRL case: BJP welcomes Kerala HC order rejecting Vijayan's plea; CPI(M) to face it legally

Spasht writes original summaries. Follow the links to read each outlet's own report. Revision 1.

Kerala High Court bench refuses Pinarayi Vijayan permission to appeal the FIR order | Spasht