New Delhi, Wednesday, February 03, 2010: The Supreme Court has postponed the hearing of SNC Lavalin case for four weeks upon a petition moved by CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan.

The division bench comprising Justice RV Raveendran, Justice HL Dattu, deferred the hearing after Pinarayi Vijayan’s counsel advocate Parekh appealed to Court that since the CBI has failed to file counter affidavit the hearing may be deferred.

GE Vahanamoorthy, Attorney General informed the court that it was not the duty of the CBI to justify the sanction for prosecution granted by the Kerala Governor. He added that the premier investigating agency is discussing on the reply to be filed and it may take more time.

In a writ petition, Pinarayi Vijayan challenged the Governor’s order, to prosecute him in the SNC Lavalin case; he questioned whether the Governor of a State had any discretionary power to act on his own to grant sanction for the prosecution of a former public servant independently without the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.