The Kerala Crime Branch Police on Saturday registered a case against former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy for allegedly sexually assaulting Saritha Nair, an accused in the 2013 solar scam, at his official residence in Thiruvananthapuram in 2013, reported The Hindu.
The case was filed after Nair submitted a complaint with the special investigation team, reported Mathrubhumi. The police also booked Congress MP KC Venugopal.
The First Information Report was filed in the court of the Thiruvananthapuram Chief Judicial Magistrate on Saturday. The Crime Branch has charged Chandy for committing a sexual act deemed by law as unnatural in exchange for promoting Nair’s business. Venugopal has been charged with rape. Kerala Police Chief and Director General of Police Loknath Behara on Sunday said the a special team has been constituted to probe Nair’s complaint.
The former chief minister has alleged that the FIR was politically motivated. “This has happened before also and now this fresh development has surfaced because of the issues in Sabarimala,” Chandy said, according to IANS. “I will deal with this case legally and on Monday in the state capital, I will reveal more details.”
In her complaint, Nair claimed that Chandy sought and received sexual favours after she met him for an interview. The interview with Chandy was arranged by members of his staff, said Nair.
In its report in 2017, the Justice Sivarajan Commission found that senior politicians in the state had sought and received sexual favours from Nair in exchange for promoting her business. The commission recommended that all those named by Nair should be investigated.
But earlier this year, the Kerala High Court issued orders to the charges of sexual abuse against Chandy, saying that the charges raised by Nair do not come under the purview of the solar inquiry commission.
Solar panel scam
Biju Radhakrishnan and his partner Saritha Nair allegedly duped investors of lakhs of rupees after promising to install solar panels for them. They were arrested in October 2013 and sentenced to three years in jail on December 16, 2016. Chandy and other Congress ministers were accused of taking large amounts of money and sexual favours as part of the scam.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!