Chandy's son was also involved in solar scam: Saritha

Kochi, Jan 29: Saritha Nair, one of the main accused in solar panel scam, having first dragged Chief Minister Oommen Chandy into the case, on Friday claimed his son Chandy Oommen as the one who was closely involved in it.

Saritha made the disclosure on the third day of her deposition before the Solar Judicial commission, and said she met the chief minister many times and not just three times as mentioned by Oommen Chandy before the commission.

She said there was a picture of hers that had come out at a function at Kottayam where she met the chief minister and on that day she was talking about a new company to be formed by his son Chandy Oommen and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy agreed to that.

Saritha on Thursday alleged that she gave Rs.1.90 crore in bribes to the chief minister in two instalments through a person called Thomas Kuruvilla, based in Delhi.

On Friday, she added that the Oommen Chandy's son was always available on Kuruvilla's mobile phone when they discussed the solar panel business and the formation of a new company to import solar panels.

Saritha also claimed there were speculations about a relationship between her and Chandy Oommen. But she was not the woman mentioned in that story, but another one who was involved in the solar company.

Saritha said that chief minster's son had made trips with the other woman to the Middle East.

She then said all the evidence of the relationship between Chandy Oomen and the other woman is in the custody of state Minister for Forests Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan.

Saritha informed the commission that she would not make any revelation about the sleaze stories that were heard when the scam first surfaced involving her and top political leaders as that involved her privacy.

Saritha asked the commission that since she has some urgent work, she may be allowed to leave and she would appear again on Monday.

The Kerala government's counsel objected to this, stating that she was in a hurry to go only to brief the media and put the government in trouble by airing these allegations.

But the commission allowed Saritha to return on Monday and Tuesday for her further deposition.

Saritha's deposition comes at a time when a petition filed by the chief minister and state Power Minister Aryadan Mohammed is coming up before the Kerala High Court, challenging the Thrissur Vigilance court directive to register an FIR against them for accepting bribes from her.

IANS