By IANS,
Kochi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Thursday filed charges in the Rs.300 crore (Rs.3 billion) SNC Lavalin corruption scam, naming Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan as one of the eight accused.
The charges against Vijayan were filed in a special CBI court here after Kerala Governor R.S. Gavai Sunday gave the go-ahead to the investigative agency to prosecute the CPI-M state secretary.
Vijayan has been charged with conspiracy and indulging in corruption, an official said.
The communist leader is accused of wrongfully awarding a contract to Canadian company SNC Lavalin for renovation of two power plants when he was the state power minister in 1997.
Among the accused is an official of SNC Lavalin and also the Canadian company itself.
The other six are all former officials of the Kerala State Electricity Board.
CBI Deputy Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar arrived at the CBI court in the afternoon with four big boxes containing documents that were to be filed along with the chargesheet.
The CBI has also included the governor’s approval in its list of documents as submitted to the court.