Govt did not want CBI probe into Lavalin case

Kochi, Nov 22 (UNI) Kerala government today submitted before the High Court that it did not want a CBI probe into the SNC Lavalin case, relating to the issue of contract to a Canadian company for the renovation of three hydel power stations.

Advocate-General C P Sudhakara Prasad made the submission before a Division Bench of Chief Justice V K Bali and Justice P R Raman when it was considering a review petition by CBI Director Vijay Shankar seeking a review of the observation made by the Court in a contempt petition.

The Court said when the contempt petition came up for hearing, the then Advocate-General submitted that the government had already handed over the file regarding the Lavalin case to the CBI.

The Advocate-General told the Court that the present government was not supporting a CBI investigation in the matter and it was the previous government which had decided to hand over the file to the CBI.

The Court directed the state government to file a statement in this matter.

The review petition was filed by the CBI Director seeking a review of the order in the contempt petition in which it was stated that the CBI had already started investigation into the case.

The petitioner contended that the CBI was not interested in the matter since it had not received sanction from the Ministry concerned to conduct the investigation.

UNI XR KD ND1828