Kochi, Wednesday 30 December 2009: CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan has been granted bail by the CBI special court today. He appeared before the court at 11am. He is the seventh accused in the SNC Lavalin case.

The bail was granted on a bond of Two lakh rupees in cash and two-bail bondsmen. The second accused in the case, KG Rajasekharan has also been granted bail. Pinarayi reached the court along with MK Damodaran, former AG,P Rajeev MP and EP Jayarajan.

After he failed to appear on September 24, the court asked Pinarayi to appear on December 30. The court may also consider the petition filed by Pinarayi seeking inclusion of Defence Minister and former Chief Minister A K Antony in the list of witnesses on Wednesday.

The CBI filed a charge sheet listing Pinarayi as the seventh accused in the case relating to alleged corruption in the award of contract to SNC Lavalin for renovation of three hydel projects in the state in 1998.

Though the CBI court issued summons on June 23 to all the nine accused, including Pinarayi, to appear before it on September 24 Lavalin official Claus Trendl and the Lavalin company have not accepted the summons.

Five accused, including former Principal Secretary, Power, K Mohanachandran, former KSEB chairmen R Shivadasan and Siddharta Menon, former chief engineer, generation, Kasturiranga Iyer and former jointsecretary, Power, A Francis were earlier granted bail on a bond of Rs 2 lakh and two sureties for a like amount.