NEW DELHI: The final hearing in the SNC Lavalin case involving Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will begin in the Supreme Court today. The bench led by Justice Suryakant also include Justice K V Viswanathan. The Lavalin case was listed in the Supreme Court 30 times. However, each time the case was adjourned. The case was postponed based on the request of the CBI itself at various stages.

The Lavalin case was last considered on February 6, 2024. The Supreme Court is considering the CBI's appeal against the high court's acquittal of Pinarayi Vijayan, who was the power minister in the E K Nayanar government in 1996, former secretary of the energy department, K Mohana Chandran and former joint secretary A Francis. The high court acquitted Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and others in 2017.

Along with this, the plea seeking relaxation of the former financial adviser of the electricity board K G Rajasekaran Nair, former chairman of the board R Sivadasan and former chief engineer Kasthuriranga Iyer, who were ruled by the court to face trial, is also being considered. The case against Pinarayi is that during his tenure as the state power minister in 1996 in the Nayanar cabinet, the KSEB suffered a loss of Rs 86.25 crore as a result of the contract with Canada-based company SNC Lavalin for the renovation and modernisation of Pallivasal, Sengulam, and Panniar hydroelectric projects in Idukki.