JOIN USCharges filed against Vijayan
CBI deputy superintendent of police (Chennai) Ashok Kumar filed the chargesheet in the CBI special court in Ernakulam listing Vijayan as the seventh accused and the Canadian company SNC Lavalin as ninth accused in the case. Former power secretary and chairman of Kerala State Electricity Board K Mohanachandran figures as the first accused while SNC Lavalin vice-president Klaus Tiendl is the sixth accused.
In the chargesheet, the CBI stated that the accused had hatched a conspiracy and entered into an agreement with SNC Lavalin without following the standard procedures.
Misled Cabinet
Vijayan has been charged under IPC sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) and section 13 (1) and 13 (2) of Prevention of Corruption Act. The central investigating agency also alleged that Vijayan had even misled the Cabinet of ministers to enter into the agreement.
Former KSEB member (Accounts) K G Rajashekharan Nair is the second accused, while former KSEB Chairman R Sivadas is the third accused, former KSEB Chief Engineer Kasthuri Ranga Iyer is fourth accused, former KSEB chairman Siddhartha Menon is the fifth accused and former joint secretary in the power department A Francis is the eighth accused.
There were 11 accused in the case initially. The names of two accused, Mathew Roy and V Rajagopal, have been deleted as both of them have died. The chargesheet came just days after Governor R S Gavai granted permission to the agency to prosecute Vijayan overturning a recommendation to the contrary by the State cabinet.