Kochi: The audio clips of telephonic conversations that solar scam prime accused Saritha S. Nair had between Benny Bahanan MLA and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's former gunman Salim Raj have been leaked.
The audio clips, which Saritha claims to be a crucial evidence in the solar scam, were leaked hours after she submitted them to the Justice Sivarajan Commission probing the scam.
In the audio clips, Benny Bahanan was heard asking to Saritha for settling the solar case and Salim Raj was asking her to change the statement she was supposed to give before the Justice G. Sivarajan Commission.
In the clips, Saritha is heard demanding money and assistance from Benny Bahanan, while Salim Raj was asking to tweak statements in his favour in the department level inquiry. Salim Raj is also heard giving instructions as to what all changes she was supposed to make in her statements.
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Saritha S. Nair, the second accused in the solar scam, on Monday submitted the CDs and other digital evidence containing her alleged conversations with Congress leader Thampanoor Ravi, Benny Behnan MLA and Salim Raj before the commission probing the multi-crore scam.
She had earlier alleged that Ravi and Behanan tried to weaken the case and settle it in closed doors.
Saritha also submitted the video footage of her conversation with Kozhencherry-based Mount Zion Trust chairman K. J. Abraham Kalamannil, who allegedly persuaded her to destroy evidence.
Victim of sexual abuse
Reiterating that she was a victim of sexual abuse, Saritha told the Commission that she had earlier mentioned it when the Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court (Economic Offences) recorded her statement. The Commission informed her that the CJM Court had submitted her statement before it.
She further told the commission that she would produce audio recordings to validate her claim that Abraham Kalamannil approached her on behalf of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
Saritha also submitted the documents regarding her request to the chief minister, who later forwarded it to the Alappuzha district collector, for resurveying the land owned by E. K. Baburaj, one of the main investors in the solar project. Another vital evidence produced by her was the address of Thomas Kuruvila, a Delhi-based close aide of the chief minister, written down by himself on Saritha’s diary.
She claimed that about 80 per cent of the evidence submitted before the panel could establish her close association with the Chief Minister.
After being released from jail, she stayed at Balakrishna Pilla’s relative’s residence in Kottarakkara, she said. “At that time, the media was awash with solar scam related allegations and revelations. One day Thampanoor Ravi called on the phone of Pradeep Kumar, personal assistant of Ganesh Kumar MLA, and instructed me to do something to dampen down the controversy. He also advised me to file a sexual harassment case against Abdulakutty MLA. While I was on my way to submit the petition to the DGP, Ravi called on my lawyer’s phone and told that he had spoken to the DGP and the petition could be filed with the women’s police station.
"Subsequently, a case was registered based on my petition and my statement was recorded under Section 164. But when I was called to the police station by Thiruvananthapuram ACP K. E. Baiju for recording my statement, Ravi took a U-turn and advised me not to go to the station.”
“Later, Benny Behanan called on my lawyer’s phone and asked him to drop the case. When I told him that I would take the case forward, he kept calling me. Both Ravi and Behanan had disclosed to me that they were doing all this on behalf of Oommen Chandy. The CD I submitted before the Commission would corroborate their revelation.
“I was served a notice to appear before the court as a witness in a case charged against Salim Raj for misusing the landline phone at the chief minister’s official residence. I informed Ravi about the notice. As per his advice Salim Raj called me and tutored me over phone on the statements to be given. Ravi also asked me to give statements in favour of Salim Raj,” Saritha added.