Paid Kerala CM Chandy aide Rs 1.9cr, says solar scam accused

KOCHI: Saritha S Nair, the main accused in Kerala's solar scam, on Wednesday told an inquiry panel that she paid a Rs 1.90-crore bribe meant for chief minister Oommen Chandy. She deposed before justice G Sivarajan's panel, and claimed the money was handed over to Chandy's Delhi-based aide Thomas Kuruvila in two instalments.
Nair has claimed she did this after the chief minister's personal assistant, Jikkumon Jacob, told her that Chandy had demanded Rs 7 crore for promoting her solar business.
She has provided the precise time, dates and locations for the alleged meetings, and also referred to the "access" she enjoyed. Nair has claimed that she called up the chief minister several times before 7am at his official residence on a direct, unlisted number to discuss matters related to her business. She alleged having paid a bribe of Rs 40 lakh to power minister Aryadan Mohammed after he demanded Rs 2 crore.
Nair subsequently demanded her money back when the minister reportedly refused to act on his promise to move the relevant files.
Chandy's confidant Thampanoor Ravi has purportedly been heard asking Nair to refrain from contradicting the chief minister's deposition before the panel on Monday in a leaked telephonic conversation on Tuesday.
But Nair's deposition was in contrast to Chandy's testimony. The CM dismissed Nair's latest allegations as "mudslinging devoid of even a shred of evidence". "I have not done anything favouring this company and not even a single rupee was accepted for this," he added.
" ... A group of people has set out with some ulterior motives to destabilise the government. Nothing is going to happen. The people of Kerala are closely watching the developments," he said
Nair's deposition will continue over the next two days. Biju Radhakrishan, her estranged partner, is expected to cross-examine her on Friday.
She told the commission she went to Delhi on December 27, 2012 to hand over the bribe as per Jacob's directions.
Nair added she met the chief minister in Delhi when he was there to attend a meeting along with Kuruvila.
She added she told Chandy that she had the money and that she would be in Delhi for two days. The chief minister allegedly asked her to deal directly with Kuruvila.
Following this, Rs 1.10 crore in cash was arranged for her. The money was handed over in a bag inside Kuruvila's car at the parking area of a mall at Chandni Chowk, Nair told the panel.
Kuruvila collected another Rs 80 lakh along with a Congress leader at Nair's house in Thiruvananthapuram.
Nair told the commission she informed the chief minister of all these dealings during her early morning phone conversations with him.
Nair claimed she first met the chief minister at his office in June 2011. Permission for the meeting was obtained through the personal assistant of then forest minister Ganesh Kumar. Chandy allegedly offered help for the project.