In a double setback for the Congress-led State Government, the Kerala High Court on Friday granted bail to two of the accused of two different cases of financial fraud relating to the infamous solar scam in which Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was allegedly involved, rejecting the Government’s objections and submissions.
A division bench headed by Justice SS Satheeshchandran granted bail to actress-dancer Shalu Menon, second accused in a case in which her boyfriend Biju Radhakrishnan, chief perpetrator of the solar scam, was the first accused though the Government argued against it as the investigation in the case was yet to be completed.
The division bench also granted bail with comparatively liberal conditions to Chandy’s ex-aide Tenny Joppen, third accused in another scam-related case in which Biju and his former wife Saritha S Nair were first and second accused respectively, despite the Government’s request to impose strict conditions.
Expressing the hope that granting of bail to Shalu might not affect the investigation into the scam, Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said that the Government would discuss with legal experts the possibilities of filing appeal against the High Court order. Criticisms have already come up against the Government for not presenting the case against Shalu properly.
Shalu, said to be close to several top-ranking politicians including Thiruvanchoor and Union Minister of State Kodikkunnil Suresh, is second accused in the case pertaining to the duping one Rasiq Ali of Thiruvananthapuram of Rs 70 lakh along with Biju. She is also accused of helping Biju, charged with murdering his former wife Rasmi in 2006, escape to Tamil Nadu.
Joppen, accused of misusing the Chief Minister’s office to help the scam perpetrators, was arrested on June 28 for assisting Saritha, with whom he had been in regular telephonic and personal contact, and Biju to dupe one of the scam victims of Rs 40 lakh. The police had arrested Shalu on July 5 in the context of pressures mounting from various quarters.
Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan alleged that the Government had deliberately failed to oppose the bail pleas effectively fearing that the probe would have to be taken to the Chief Minister’s doorsteps. “The very Government which has the responsibility to ensure punishment to such people is helping them,” he said in Thiruvananthapuram.
The court also made some observations that were extremely discomforting to the Government while granting bail to Shalu and Joppen. The judge, who had earlier questioned the legal validity of the special police team probing the scam, said that several officials in the Chief Minister’s office and many political leaders were obviously in the shadow of strong allegations.
Meanwhile, the Opposition lDF on Friday submitted to the Home Minister its suggestions on the terms of references of the judicial probe announced last week by the Government into the solar scam. The letter said that the Chief Minister’s office should be brought under the purview of the probe as he had direct involvement in the scam.
“Incidents related to the solar scam are directly linked to the Chief Minister. For the same reason, the Opposition holds fast to its demand that the Chief Minister’s office should be brought under the purview of the judicial inquiry,” said lDF convener Vaikom Viswan, adding that Chandy’s role would become clear if a transparent probe was held.
However, the Chief Minister said the matters the Opposition was bringing up were “invisible”. “The lDF is refusing to talk to the Government on the terms of reference of the inquiry because they don’t have a clear argument to put forward. The intention of the Opposition is not to find the actual culprits behind the scam.” He said in Malappuram on Friday.