Kerala’s Congress Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who claims transparency in all official matters by throwing open the functioning of his office to the world of web round the clock, on Thursday came under heavy fire from the Opposition lDF over the alleged links between his personal assistant Tenny Joppen and a woman arrested last week for financial swindling.
Producing records of scores of phone calls between Joppen and the woman, the Opposition alleged in the Assembly that Chandy’s office was being misused for protecting criminals and demanded a judicial probe into the matter. “The Chief Minister’s office is said to be functioning round the clock. Is it for protecting criminalsIJ” asked Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan.
According to reports, Tenny Joppen, described often as Chandy’s shadow, had held telephonic conversations nearly 70 times with the woman, Saritha S Nair alias lakshmi (35), before her arrest last week for cheating a person by taking Rs 40 lakh by promising him to set up solar power plants and windmills.
After several hours of heated exchanges between the Opposition and the ruling side, Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said Additional DGP A Hemachandran would probe the allegations of phone conversations between the Chief Minister’s aide and Saritha Nair disregarding the Opposition demand for a judicial probe.
Saritha Nair hailing from Chengannur, Alappuzha and her husband Biju Radhakrishnan of Kollam (first accused in the case) are said to have cheated over 50 investors by taking crores of rupees from them promising to set up solar power plants and windmills in Tamil Nadu. Biju Radhakrishnan is absconding.
The Opposition alleged that Joppen had made the calls to Saritha from the same phone the Chief Minister was using and that such links between the two could not have existed without Chandy’s knowledge. Unable to provide convincing answers to the Opposition’s questions, Chandy adopted the denial technique saying, “I don’t own a phone.”
The issue, which had caused a storm in the House on Wednesday, was raised again on Thursday in the form of a notice for an adjournment motion by CPI(M) member Raju Abraham, who charged that Saritha and her husband had started their company with the blessings of the Chief Minister. “CM’s office has become a centre for protecting criminals,” he said.
Abraham, who alleged that Chandy and Joppen were trying to protect Saritha, said that a police investigation into the scandal would be insufficient to bring out the truth as the Kerala Police themselves were under suspicion of having links with the swindlers. One of the sponsors of the conference of the police association as the company run by the swindlers, he said.
Calling for a judicial probe into the matter, Deputy Opposition leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan of the CPI(M) said that it was strange why the Chief Minister had failed to sack the erring aide. “Any probe by retaining Joppen in the CM’s personal staff is unacceptable.” he said placing records of phone calls between Joppen and the swindler woman.
While replying to the notice for adjournment motion, Chandy admitted that people in his office had failed in identifying the swindler woman. “There is no question of protecting anyone. Stringent action will be taken against those responsible but this would be on the basis of an interim report from the police and not based on mere allegations,” he said.
After the Chief Minister’s reply, the Speaker refused leave for the adjournment motion irking the Opposition. Protesting against the Speaker’s decision, the Opposition staged a walkout. At the same time, pro-CPI(M) youth outfit DYFI held demonstrations outside the House demanding Chandy’s resignation over the issue.