New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the investigation in the first information report (FIR) registered against former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the CMRL-Exalogic case for one week, Bar and Bench and Live Law reported. A vacation bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana made clear that the FIR itself will remain in existence, but no investigation will proceed until the appellate forum decides the issues, so that Vijayan and the other petitioners can pursue their appeal before a division bench of the Kerala High Court and seek interim relief there.

The bench set aside the High Court division bench's order refusing the petitioners leave to appeal against the single judge's direction to register the FIR. The Court held that the facts made out a prima facie case for the petitioners to be heard in appeal, and clarified that its observations are limited to that question of locus and are not an expression of opinion on the merits of the case, according to Verdictum's report of the order.

Vijayan, his daughter Veena Thaikkandiyil and her husband Mohammed Riyas had challenged the Kerala High Court order directing registration of an FIR in the alleged CMRL-Exalogic bribery case, based on information shared by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The bribery claims are allegations that have not been established. As Bar and Bench reported, the Congress-led Kerala government had initially decided to hold a preliminary inquiry through a special investigation team instead of registering an FIR; activist-lawyer KM Shajahan challenged that move, and the ED supported the contention that the state police ought to have registered an FIR on its information.

The Supreme Court questioned that sequence. It noted that the single judge had directed the FIR without hearing Vijayan, even though the state had already set up a preliminary enquiry, and it cautioned the ED against stepping into the domain of other investigating agencies. "Go ahead with your prosecution. Don't extend your hand beyond your statutory limits. We are making it very clear. Don't use the process of statutory powers to meddle into the statutory domain of other entities," Justice Bagchi said, in remarks reported by both Bar and Bench and Live Law. Senior advocates Sidharth Luthra and N Hariharan appeared for the petitioners, while advocate Zoheb Hussain appeared for the ED, Verdictum reported.

Sources: Bar and Bench, Live Law, Law Trend and Verdictum, reporting the Supreme Court's order of October 21, 2026.