CBI to probe solar scam cases against ex-Kerala CM, KC Venugopal on rape victim's request
Jan 24, 2021
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], January 24 : The Kerala Government has decided to handover the Solar Scam cases -- in which many Congress leaders including former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and national general secretary KC Venugopal are in the list of accused -- to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The decision was taken based on the request of a rape victim, the complainant in the case pertaining to alleged sexual abuse. As many as six cases of the solar scam that were being probed by the Crime Branch have been handed over to CBI, according to a notification issued by the Kerala Home Department in this regard.
The scam had created a political storm in Kerala during the fag end of the last Oommen Chandy government and had become one of the main election planks of the Left Democratic Front ( LDF) during the last assembly polls in 2016. The list of cases handed over to CBI includes allegations raised against Congress leaders Oommen Chandy, KC Venugopal, Hibi Eden, AP Anil Kumar, and Adoor Prakash. The case taken against BJP leader AP Abdullakutty is also in the list.
Reacting to the development, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said that the government's decision to hand over Solar Scam cases to the CBI is just an election stunt.
"The government, which had been in power for five years but could not find anything, handed over the case to the CBI in the run-up to the elections for political purposes," he said.
"The Supreme Court Judge Arijit Pasayat has given legal advice to the government that the case is not valid and cannot be taken forward. Yet, with the Assembly elections coming up, cases have been handed over to CBI. People of Kerala will identify the political motive behind the move," he added.
The solar scam took place in 2013 when the United Democratic Front (UDF) government led by Chandy was in power. Former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy is also accused of accepting a bribe of Rs 1.9 crore in the matter.
The solar panel scam involved a fraudulent solar energy company, Team Solar Energy, which duped several people to the tune of crores of rupees.
