CM phoned mother asking not to reveal scam details, alleges Saritha

Kochi, Jan 28: Continuing her attack on Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Saritha S Nair, prime accused in the solar scam, today alleged that he had telephoned her mother to influence her not to reveal facts related to the case while she was lodged in jail in 2013.

A day after she alleged that she had paid bribes totalling Rs 1.90 crore to a close aide of Chandy and Rs 40 lakh to power minister Arayadan Mohammed, Saritha said she could produce evidence to prove her charges with regard to alleged involvement of influential people in the scam.

Chandy and Arayadan have rejected the allegations. Deposing before Justice Sivarajan Commission probing the solar scam case, Saritha claimed a personal assistant to former minister and Kerala Congress (B) leader K B Ganesh Kumar had come to meet her along with her mother at the Attakkulangara jail.

Kerala Congress (B) was part of the Congress-led UDF at that time. "Pradeep Kumar (PA to Ganesh Kumar) told me that he took the risk to meet her at the jail on the basis of a request from the Chief Minister himself," Saritha told the panel.

"He told me that the Chief Minister, Congress leaders Benny Behanan MLA and Thampanoor Ravi have spoken to my mother, assuring that all the cases and financial issues related to solar business could be settled. Pradeep Kumar told me to ask my mother about their conversation. "

I spoke to my mother who was standing outside. Mother told me that the Chief Minister had spoken to her. Benny Behanan MLA and Thampanoor Ravi had also spoken to her through the phones of Advocate Fenny Balakrishnan and Pradeep Kumar, seeking help.

They had assured my mother that the money collected from me would be returned," Saritha said.

She also said it was after this meeting with Pradeep Kumar and mother that she cut short to four pages her controversial 30-page letter written when she was in police custody at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district.

All facts were removed and a four-page letter was submitted directly to Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, she said.

"I can produce several documents and witnesses to prove their (political leaders) involvement," Saritha said.

Saritha also claimed that she met the Chief Minister at his official residence Cliff House at Thiruvananthapuram and discussed certain business issues related to Team solar.

It was days after another prime accused in the scam Biju Radhakrishnan's controversial meeting with the Chief Minister, Saritha claimed.

PTI