The prime accused in the solar scam case, Saritha S Nair, while deposing before a probe commission, had alleged she paid bribes to the tune of Rs 1.90 crore to a close aide of Chief Minister Chandy and Rs 40 lakh to Power Minister Arayadan Mohammed.
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Chandy, who faced protests all over Malappuram district, cancelled his official programmes there on Thursday and rushed to Kochi to discuss the matter of appealing to the High Court against the Thrissur court’s order with Advocate General KP Dandapani, Director General of Prosecutions T Asifali and other legal experts.
A vigilance court in Kerala asked the police to register an FIR against chief minister Oommen Chandy after he was accused of taking bribes from businesspersons for allocating solar panels at cheaper rates and for giving approvals for mega solar projects.
Ms Saritha, however, said Chandy Oommen had an affair with another woman accused in the solar case and she had the evidence of the two traveling together to Dubai.
The Thrissur Vigilance Court also directed a First Information Report to be registered against Power Minister Aryadan Mohammed.
Hitting out at the opposition for their statements that appearance of CM before the Judicial Commission probing solar scam was a disgrace to state, Chandy said the conspiracy was by a section of the liquor lobby, who were unhappy due to the closing down of several liquor bars.
“When the high command is standing in the court facing corruption charges, perhaps they have no longer any moral authority to ask one of their chief ministers to resign for the same reason”.
The Chief Minister chose to act swiftly, filing an appeal in the High Court which came up for hearing before Justice P Ubaid today.
While Chandy of Congress insisted that the charge against him were part of a political conspiracy, the CPI(M)-led LDF, and youth organisations resorted to violent protests demanding the CM’s resignation and clashed with the police.
“The court has made its intentions clear through the FIR, and Chandy has only one way now to go forward and that is to quit at the earliest”, said Balakrishnan.
Saritha, whose startling revelations about the scam before the Commission have rocked Kerala, alleged that there was a suggestion that the solar panels required for the company could be imported from overseas.
Chandy and Arayadan have rejected the allegations.
The administrative department of the high court should look into the conduct of the vigilance judge, it said.
The high court found his order against Babu before the completion of the preliminary investigation legally not sustainable.
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Even as the Congress puts up a courageous face on the issue, political analysts feel the fresh developments are a big setback for not just the Congress party but also the state government.
