Solar scam: HC makes sharp observations against Chandy govt,

The UDF government, already on the backfoot in solar panel scam, today faced some uncomfortable questions from the Kerala High Court over whether a probe was not required to ascertain if any cheating was involved with knowledge of Chief Minister Oomen Chandy.

Making some sharp observations against the Congress-led UDF government in two separate cases relating to the scam, the High Court also expressed dissatisfaction at the progress in investigations.

Opposition LDF seized on the observations, calling it 'very serious' and demanded immediate resignation of Chandy.

'The critical observations made against Chandy by two benches on the same day are serious and rare and we demand resignation of the Chief Minister without waiting for a moment,' CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.

While considering the bail application of TV actress Shalu Menon, an accused in the case, Justice S S Satheeshchandran expressed dissatisfaction at the manner in which the police inquiry was progressing without co-ordination.

The judge said the court would not hesitate to have the presence of ADGP A Hemachandran, who heads the SIT probing the case, in the court.

The court sought to know where the money collected by the accused in solar panel cheating case had gone and whether those who lost the money would get it back.

Saritha Nair, an accused in the case, had yesterday informed the Economic Offences Court that she wanted to give a written version of her statement to the magistrate.

The judge asked if the SIT was aware of this fact and what were the reasons for the non-disclosure of this to the Kothamangalam Magistrate Court.

Considering a plea by businessman M K Kuruvila seeking a crime branch investigation on his complaint in connection with the solar case, another judge V K Mohan observed whether an inquiry was not required to find out if the cheating had taken place with the knowledge of the Chief Minister.

Kuruvila, a Bangalore-based planter, had complained that two persons, one of them claiming to be a relative of Chandy as well as a member of his personal staff, defrauded him of over Rs one crore by offering to install solar panels.

He submitted that he had made the complaint to the Chief Minister, who, in turn, forwarded it to the DGP. However, the matter was not being investigated effectively by the police, he alleged.