Ganesh conspired to add names of UDF leaders in Saritha's letter: Chandy

Kottarakkara: A conspiracy hatched by Saritha S Nair, who is an accused in the solar panel scam, and politician K B Ganesh Kumar led to the addition of the names of Oommen Chandy and fellow UDF leaders in her controversial letter to the inquiry commission, according to the former Kerala chief minister.

It was spitefulness on the part of legislator Ganesh, who was Chandy’s Cabinet colleague, that had worked behind Saritha appending four more pages in her letter citing people who allegedly exploited her sexually, the ex-CM told the Kottarakkara Judicial First Class Magistrate Court on Thursday.

The solar case relates to the 2013 scam that duped influential people to the tune of Rs 70 lakh by offering them favours in an energy company later found dubious.

Ganesh, who had to exit midway during the 2011-16 tenure of Kerala’s Congress-led UDF ministry under Chandy, couldn’t become a minister again owing to various reasons. This made Ganesh vindictive towards Chandy and other leaders of the multi-party front, Chandy stated.

Chandy’s government had, on the basis of widespread complaints against Team Solar company owners Saritha and Biju Radhakrishnan over swindling, constituted a special investigation commission. Quite a few criminal cases were registered against the duo. The ex-CM recalled that a Cabinet decision subsequently led to the formation of a panel to probe into the scam where the company owners had offered prospective investors plum posts or solar units.

The letter that Saritha had drafted was initially 21 pages, but got four more pages added when Saritha, lodged in the Pathanamthitta sub-jail, submitted it before the commission in June 2013 in the presence of her counsel Feni Balakrishnan. It is in the four pages that were later added that contained allegations against Chandy and fellow leaders.

Chandy had approached the High Court to get the names withdrawn from the letter, noting that the commission had completed its inquiry based on the additional names. That submission had got the report partly quashed.

On Thursday, the ex-CM told the Kottarakara court that he wanted a re-examination on the additional pages and the government’s procedures based on them, besides an end to the news and propaganda that the fresh set of names mentioned in the letter had triggered. There was malicious intention behind the addition of the names, Chandy claimed, wanting the truth to come out.

Chandy had appeared before the court of magistrate M Rajappan Nair, following a case filed by a certain Sudhir Jacob.