Kerala CM's ex-staffer arrested in cheating case

A former employee at Kerala Cheif Minister Oommen Chandy's office was arrested Friday for his alleged involvement in a cheating case, police said.

Tenny Jopan was arrested for his links to a con-couple Saritha S. Nair and her former live-in partner Biju Radhakrishnan.

The couple had formed a company Team Solar, engaged in erecting solar panels at offices and homes. They collected crore of rupees from gullible people in the state on the promise of providing the equipment to tap green sources of energy.

Jopan's arrest came after a businessman complained to police that Nair had taken Rs.40 lakh from him promising a business in solar panels at a state-owned industrial park in Palakkad. The complainant said that Jopan knew about the money transfer.

Jopan was questioned for over three hours Friday.

Chandy, who is in Bahrain, said: "The probe would continue. The law will take its own course."

Ever since Nair was arrested June 3, trouble stated for Chandy as her call details revealed that she had been in close contact with Jopan.

With the opposition demanding Chandy's resignation over the issue, the chief minister told two of his staffers not to attend office and ordered a probe. While one was suspended early this week, another resigned Wednesday.

"With the arrest, it is clear that the office of the chief minister was involved in this scam. He should order a judicial probe and resign," said leader of opposition V.S. Achuthanandan.