The Kerala government yesterday decided to register criminal cases against former chief minister Oommen Chandy, his senior ministers and several Congress Party lawmakers in what is what is known as the solar scam.
They face charges of taking bribes and sexual favours from a woman accused of cheating several people of close to Rs70mn by promising to offer solar panels and business partnerships.
Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said he was ordering a high-level police probe based on an unpublished report of a judicial commission Chandy himself had set up.
Vijayan also shifted out police officers who investigated the case under the previous government, including Director General of Police (Crime Branch) A Hemachandran.
The opposition led by the Congress cried foul saying the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) was trying to influence voters in Vengara where an assembly by-election was held yesterday.
“This is a cheap move that fourth-rate politicians make on a day when the election is being held was on,” said senior Congress leader A K Antony, a former chief minister of the state and India’s ex-defence minister.
“Vijayan made this announcement to influence the election in flagrant violation of the election code. He should have shown some decency to publish the commission’s findings. Don’t think he can silence the opposition by putting top leaders in the dock.”
Chandy said his conscience was clear and he would fight it “legally and politically”. He reminded his detractors that no independent witness had testified against him.
“They were pulling all stops to find fault with us, and they constituted a cabinet sub-committee to examine 700 decisions of my government. But nothing happened. This would also boomerang on them.”
Vijayan said all those allegedly linked to the scam would be tried under the anti-corruption law.
The mastermind of the multi-million solar energy investment fraud that rocked the Chandy government in 2013 was Saritha Nair and her live-in partner Biju Radhakrishnan. Nair had alleged she was sexually exploited by several political leaders.
The Vijayan government also decided to launch a sexual harassment case based on her letter against all those named by her.
Apart from Chandy, the police would probe former ministers Aryadan Mohamed, Adoor Prakash, A P Anil Kumar and Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan.
The others named in the case are legislator Hibi Eden, former MLAs Benny Behanan and Thampanoor Ravi, Lok Sabha members Jose K Mani and K C Venugopal, former federal minister Palanimanickam and party office bearer N Subramanian.
All those named in the case belong to the Congress, except Jose K Mani of the Kerala Congress (Mani).
The probe decision was announced by Vijayan after the weekly cabinet meeting yesterday, based on the recommendations of the Solar Scam Commission report submitted by retired judge G Sivarajan in September.
“The 1,723-page report in four volumes was handed over to the Advocate General and Director General of prosecution for their legal opinion,” Vijayan said.
“We decided to accept their recommendation and have decided to initiate criminal and vigilance cases as it has come to light this was a fraudulent business and ... bribes were given.
“Another case based on the letter by Saritha that she was sexually exploited will also be registered as receiving money and sexual favours are equally culpable.”
The case broke out in June 2013 during Chandy’s rule (2011-16) after reports surfaced that three staffers in the Chief Minister’s Office had contacts with a couple who cheated many investors of money after promising to supply solar panels to them.
The commission was appointed by the Chandy government in October 2013 under pressure from the then Left opposition.
While Nair is out on bail, Radhakrishnan is still in custody after it came to light that he had murdered his first wife.
Former chief minister V S Achuthanandan, who as the leader of opposition at the time had mounted attacks on Chandy, yesterday asked all those indicted, including Chandy, to quit public life for “outraging the modesty of women, corruption and abuse of power”.
Nair said she was “very happy” with the new developments. “I feel genuinely happy... All that I wanted to happen has happened. The truth will triumph.”
GULF TIMES
