On Tuesday (December 27), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) submitted a report in the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Thiruvananthapuram, giving a clean chit to former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy in the sexual exploitation allegation levelled by Saritha Nair, prime accused in the Kerala solar scam case. The CBI also submitted another referral report in the court exonerating former INC leader (currently in BJP) A P Abdullakutty in the same case.
In a letter to the police commissioner on July 19, 2013, Nair had levelled charges of sexual exploitation and corruption against several United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders, including Chandy, Abdullakutty, KC Venugopal and some personal aides.
This was a major scandal in the state, and the Left Democratic Front (LDF) came to power in 2016 on the back of these damaging allegations against the Congress-led UDF government. The CPI(M)-led Kerala government had recommended a CBI inquiry into the cases in January 2021, a few months ahead of the polls to the State Assembly.
The Indian Express takes a look at the Kerala solar scam case.
A couple who hoodwinked businessmen with tall promises
In 2013, Saritha S Nair and her partner Biju Radhakrishnan were arrested. Business partners in a Kochi-based firm, Team Solar Renewable Energy Solutions Pvt Limited, the couple would allegedly collect investments from businessmen and NRIs, promising to make them partners in windmill projects and solar fields.
According to the police,…
