New Delhi: The Congress on November 9 rejected the judicial commission inquiry report in Kerala’s solar scam which points fingers at former chief minister Oommen Chandy and his office staff for allegedly helping the accused of the Team Solar company in cheating clients with the promise of installing solar power plant units. Rejecting the report in toto, the Congress said that Chandy and other party leaders are ready to face trial.
Chandy’s office is accused of receiving a bribe of Rs 2.16 crore from Team Solar officials. Former Kerala home minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan tried to protect Chandy in the scam, the report says. Former power minister Aryadan Muhammad is also accused of receiving a bribe and sabotaging the probe into the scandal.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan earlier in the day tabled the report in Kerala Assembly. The report, that runs into four volumes and over 1,000 pages, was commissioned by the previous Congress government. The commission was headed by retired Justice G Sivarajan.
The commission also says that Chandy and other senior Congress leaders like Ernakulam MLA Hybi Eden, Aryadan Muhammad, Adoor Prakash, AP Anil Kumar, Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani and KC Venugopal sexually assaulted Saritha S Nair, who ran the Team Solar company.
Nair had made these allegations in a letter submitted to the commission. An investigation into the alleged sexual favours demanded by Congress leaders will be conducted, Chief Minister M Vijayan said. A new investigation team headed by ADGP Rajesh Dewan will probe the new charges and take stock of any evidence, the chief minister said.
Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said the report was changed at the behest of the LDF government and promised to fight the charges against the party legally. After the chief minister presented the report, the opposition Congress raised slogans inside the Assembly and agitated against the commission findings. The special session of the Assembly was adjourned soon after.
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