Solar panel submits report; did nothing wrong, says Chandy

A judicial commission, which probed the Kerala solar scam that had rocked the previous Congress-led government headed by Oommen Chandy, today submitted its report.
It was handed over to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by Justice G Sivarajan this afternoon, about four years after the commission was constituted.
The tenure of the commission was to end tomorrow.
"The report has been submitted to the chief minister," Justice Sivarajan told reporters later.
However, he declined to disclose the contents of the four-volume report, saying the chief minister would inform the media about it.
"I have received the report but have not opened it yet... will inform you later," Vijayan said.

Chandy told reporters that he had done nothing wrong and was not apprehensive about the outcome of the commission's report.

"A report has been submitted. Let the details come out. I have no anxiety as I have done no wrong," he said.
"My office was open to all where anyone could drop in to meet me," the former chief minister said.
He said this when it was pointed that there were allegations that main accused Saritha Nair had met him in his office and at the secretariat several times in connection with the business activities of Team solar company promoted by her and another accused Biju Radhakrishnan.

The then CPI(M)-led LDF opposition had launched a massive agitation, including a 30-hour siege of the secretariat, demanding Chandy's resignation as the scam took a political turn after two members of the chief minister's staff-- Tenny Joppen and Jikkumon-- were removed for their alleged links with Nair.
The scam came into the limelight after telephone conversations between staff of Chandy and prime accused Saritha Nair came up before the media.
Under pressure from the opposition, the Chandy government had appointed the retired Kerala high court judge as the one- man commission to probe the scam on October 23, 2013.
The allegation was that Saritha and Biju Radhakrishnan had duped several people of crores of rupees by offering solar panel solutions and canvassing business using high profile names, including that of Chandy.

Terms of references of the commission, included whether the office of the chief minister had been misused and if there was any loss to the state exchequer.
Chandy had appeared before the commission for about 13 hours, making him the first chief minister of the state to have deposed before a judicial commission.
The veteran congressman had maintained that the charges against him and his office were "politically motivated" and had denied any wrongdoing.
Set up in October 2013, the commission had held 353 sittings, examined 214 witnesses and 972 documents.
The scam was a major election plank of the CPI(M)-led LDF which rode to power in May 2016.

The report has come at a time when the state is all set for the Vengara bypoll on October 11.
The bypoll has been necessitated following the election of IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty to the Lok Sabha.