Supreme Court may set up bench in Dussehra break to hear Pinarayi Vijayan's FIR plea

The Supreme Court on Friday, 16 October 2026, did not grant an urgent hearing to former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s plea against a Kerala High Court order directing that a First Information Report (FIR) be registered in the CMRL-Exalogic case, according to Hindustan Times and The Indian Express. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said it may constitute a bench during the Dussehra vacation, and otherwise hear the matter when the court reopens on 26 October.

What was argued

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for Mr Vijayan, mentioned the plea for urgent listing and asked for protection from coercive action. “The threat is because now the FIR is registered. All I am saying is, let him be protected,” The Indian Express quoted him as saying. Hindustan Times reported that he described the matter as one of liberty.

The Indian Express reported that Mr Luthra also contended that the Single Judge who passed the order, in a writ petition in the nature of a public interest litigation, did not have the roster for such petitions, and that the High Court gave its direction without hearing the accused.

According to Hindustan Times, the Chief Justice initially indicated the matter could be heard on 26 or 27 October, and said regular cause lists were already full. When Mr Luthra pressed for urgency, he said the court may consider a special bench during the vacation, “subject to the availability of judges”, Hindustan Times reported. The Indian Express reported that Mr Vijayan’s daughter, T. Veena, and son-in-law, P.A. Mohamed Riyas, have also approached the Supreme Court. The reports reviewed do not say whether the court has issued any order on protection from arrest.

Background

On 9 October a Single Judge of the Kerala High Court directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) to register an FIR, based on information from the Enforcement Directorate (ED). On Thursday, 15 October, a Division Bench dismissed applications for leave to appeal, holding that an accused in a corruption case has no legal right to be heard before an FIR is registered; our report on that ruling has details, and an earlier report sets out what the FIRs record.

Hindustan Times reported that, according to the FIRs, Exalogic Solutions received ₹3 lakh a month and Ms Veena ₹5 lakh a month as consultant, despite the alleged absence of corresponding services. These are allegations under investigation. Mr Vijayan is named as the first accused in one FIR and Mr Riyas in the other; Ms Veena is the second accused in both. The Indian Express reported that the earlier Keralam government decision to hold a preliminary inquiry instead of registering an FIR was challenged in the High Court by K.M. Shajahan, and that the ED joined the proceedings.

The reports reviewed do not carry a separate response from the State government to Friday’s hearing.

What happens next

The Supreme Court reopens on 26 October after the Dussehra break. The Chief Justice said a vacation bench may be constituted earlier, depending on the availability of judges.