Kochi: In a jolt for Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the solar panel scam, a businessman, who was allegedly cheated of Rs4m, yesterday claimed he visited Chandy’s office with accused Saritha S Nair, who introduced him as an investor.
Sreedharan Nair told Reporter TV that Saritha Nair had asked him to come to Chandy’s office July 9 last year.
“I was asked to reach Chandy’s office and I went along with a friend of mine. She (Saritha) was waiting outside and I was taken to the office of Chandy.... after some time (Chandy’s then aide) Tenny Jopan led me in. Chandy was introduced to me by Saritha S Nair.
“He (Chandy) said it was good that you people have come for projects like this and I can go ahead strongly. Soon he left the office and I also along with Nair accompanied him in the lift and then we went our way,” he said.
Nair added that he paid Rs4m in three installments to Saritha Nair to erect a solar panel factory at Palakkad after being convinced that the project was viable.
After the interview was telecast, Chandy was closeted at his official residence with senior party leaders.
Earlier yesterday, Chandy had told the assembly that he met Sreedharan Nair twice and discussed issues facing the quarry industry but did not say that they had discussed the solar panel project or if Saritha Nair was present at their meetings.
He had also blamed the Left, saying its own government had not properly probed the case it had filed against Saritha Nair’s firm in 2010.
Following the businessman’s statement, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member and former home minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said that Chandy has no more right to continue.
“He has to resign and then only the investigation in the case can go ahead. He should be interrogated by police and hence he has to step down,” said Balakrishnan, who yesterday sought leave of the house for an adjournment motion on the scam.
Sreedharan Nair has already filed a private complaint against being cheated at a court in Pathanamthitta and last Saturday, gave a statement to the magistrate.
“I have given the exact statement to the magistrate about what I told in this interview,” he said.
Meanwhile, Congress legislator T N Prathapan said that Sreedharan Nair has retracted his claims many times since this controversy broke out.
“This is part of a conspiracy being hatched to tarnish the image of the chief minister,” he alleged. IANS
