The police yesterday arrested popular actress and dancer Shalu Menon in connection with what has come to be termed as the “solar scam”.
Shalu Menon, highly connected politically and a popular film personality in the state, had managed to evade the police ever since news of the scam first broke.
However, a Thrissur court on Thursday instructed the police to register a case against Shalu Menon for her alleged involvement with a couple against whom many cases of cheating have been filed.
After collecting large sums from investors in the name of a company called Team Solar, the couple - Saritha S Nair and her live-in partner Biju Radhakrishnan – failed to deliver the solar panels.
On complaints from numerous people, the couple was arrested by police last month for cheating.
Menon’s links with the couple became evident after it was found that she had offered Radhakrishnan her car to get out of the state. She had also given the man her mobile phone to use while he was on the run.
Radhakrishnan was arrested from Coimbatore, and Shalu Menon’s mobile phone was recovered from him.
The team investigating the case had summoned Menon and her mother. The actress had then claimed she had no role in the scam. However, a resident of the state capital registered a complaint against Menon stating she had accompanied Radhakrishnan when he took Rs2mn from the complainant.
Images of Menon and Radhakrishnan attending a meeting of the solar panel company also appeared in the media.
Reports also surfaced that Radhakrishnan had given Menon money and purchased expensive gifts for her.
Meanwhile, the Left opposition was up in arms against state Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, alleging he had been protecting the actress, as the minister was seen attending the house-warming function of a luxury house Menon had constructed near Kottayan. TV channels showed top political leaders in attendance at the house-warming function.