Kochi: Kerala’s Left opposition yesterday sought the resignation of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy over the contact that members of his staff maintained with a woman who has been arrested in a cheating case.
Yesterday was the fourth day that the matter was being raised by members of the opposition.
A TV channel yesterday carried a one-hour interview with Biju Radhakrishnan, who had been in a live-in relationship with the arrested woman, Saritha S Nair. Radhakrishnan confirmed that his former partner had maintained contacts with two members of the chief minister’s office.
“I am now in hiding and my life is in danger. Since last Onam (August 2012) I have no contact with Saritha. I met Chief Minister (Chandy) once to complain to him about the relationship that the then Cinema Minister K B Ganesh Kumar had with Saritha. It was this relation that spoiled the relations I had with Saritha. She did have close links with the two now-dismissed staff members in Chandy’s office. The chief minister has no role in these issues,” Radhakrishnan, who has been on the run, said on TV. Special teams of Kerala Police have been formed to nab him. Radhakrishnan had been the woman’s partner also in a solar panel equipment business, which was run under the name Team Solar.
The duo reportedly cheated a number of potential clients to the tune of millions of rupees. They would also promise to put up windmill farms for large sums of money.
Since 2000, Saritha is alleged to have been involved in more than 13 cases of cheating.
Saritha was arrested June 3, and is under judicial custody.
Radhakrishnan remains absconding.
IANS
