Kochi, Dec 17 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and others, including former state finance minister Thomas Isaac on Wednesday moved the Kerala High Court against the ED show cause notices to them regarding usage of funds generated through the KIIFB Masala Bonds.

Vijayan's chief principal secretary and KIIFB CEO K M Abraham also moved the HC.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had in November issued the show cause notices in connection with the use of the Masala Bond funds by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) for acquisition of land for infrastructure projects.

Besides seeking for quashing the notices, the Vijayan, who is the KIIFB chairman, Abraham and Isaac, in their joint plea sought an interim stay of the same.

The same reliefs were earlier sought by KIIFB when it moved the High Court last week.

The High Court on Tuesday stayed any proceedings pursuant to the show cause notice for three months.

The ED on Wednesday filed an appeal, through advocate Jaishankar V Nair, challenging the interim stay order by a single judge.

In its appeal, the agency has contended that KIIFB's petition was "premature and not maintainable", as the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) provides a complete adjudicatory and appellate framework, and "objections regarding jurisdiction, factual disputes, or interpretation of RBI directions must be raised before the Adjudicating Authority".

"However, on a total wrong appreciation of law and facts an interim order was passed by the single judge," the ED claimed in its plea.

The single judge, while issuing the interim order, had observed that according to the RBI's External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) framework, which came into effect from January 16, 2019 and governed the Masala Bonds issued by KIIFB, the definition of real estate activity does not include activities related to infrastructure sector.

However, according to the central probe agency, the acquisition of land for infrastructure projects was a real estate activity and cannot be carried out using Masala Bond funds.

The ED had in November issued a Rs 467-crore FEMA contravention show cause notice to Vijayan, Isaac, and Abraham in the KIIFB Masala Bond case.

The notice pertains to the alleged contravention of FEMA provisions and the RBI master direction by KIIFB and its authorities, amounting to Rs 466.91 crore.

KIIFB is the primary agency of the state government for financing large and critical infrastructure projects.

It had raised Rs 2,150 crore in 2019 through its debut masala bond issue as part of its plan to mobilise Rs 50,000 crore to fund large and critical infrastructure projects in the state. PTI HMP SA

Kerala Masala Bond use challenged; HC stay appealed as ED argues FEMA adjudicatory process bars direct petitions. Kerala officials challenged ED show cause notices alleging misuse of Masala Bond proceeds for land acquisition; the High Court stayed proceedings for three months. The ED appealed, arguing petitions are premature because FEMA provides a complete adjudicatory and appellate framework and that objections must be raised before the Adjudicating Authority. The dispute hinges on whether the External Commercial Borrowings framework treats land acquisition for infrastructure as a real estate activity barred from Masala Bond financing; the notices allege FEMA contraventions of Rs 466.91 crore.