Govt again writes to HC for services of sitting judge

Kerala government has once again sought the services of a sitting High Court judge to probe the solar scam which has been used by the CPI-M led LDF opposition to attack the ruling UDF for the past three months.
The government, in a letter to the Court Registrar, sought the service of a sitting judge holding that the case was very important, official sources said here today.
The renewed request came in the wake of the court informing the government last week it cannot spare a sitting judge.
Congress led UDF government which is under pressure from LDF over the scam that brought the CM's office under a cloud, had announced a judicial probe at the height of the Opposition campaign pressing for the resignation of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on the issue.

As part of its agitation demanding Chandy's resignation, LDF workers had laid a siege to the secretariat here last month, but it was called off after the probe was announced.
The tug of war between UDF and LDF is over the issue of inclusion of CM's office in the ambit of the probe.

The scam relates to cheating people of huge sums by the arrested accused Biju Radhakrishnan and Saritha Nair by offering solar energy solutions. A Special Investigation Team probing the case has completed its probe.
The case assumed a serious political dimension with the arrest of Tenny Joppan, a Personal Assistant in the Chief Minister's office, for his alleged links with the accused.

Former Director of Public Relations Department A Firoz and tele-actress and danseuse Shalu Menon were also arrested in a related case. Shalu and Joppan are out on bail.
LDF has been alleging that such a huge scam would not have taken place without the collusion of the Chief Minister.