Cabinet decides to register Vigilance case against former CM Oommen Chandy

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 11: In a major set back to the Congress, the Marxist-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government in Kerala today decided to register Vigilance and Criminal cases against former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and several other United Democratic Front leaders in the sensational solar scam case. The decision was taken by the state Cabinet on the basis of the findings of the Justice (retd) Sivarajan Commission that Mr Chandy and others had helped prime accused Saritha S Nair and Biju Radhakrishnan to cheat clinets in the name of setting up of solar projects in the state. The Commission was appointed by Mr Chandy himself when he was the Chief Minister during the peak of the controversy. Briefing newspersons, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the investigation had found that the accused have taken huge amounts as bribe from Sarita. A criminal case would be filed against former Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan for helping the accused. Cases will also be registered against former Electricity minister Aryadan Muhammed, Thampanoor Ravi and Benny Behanan. The crucial decision coincides with the polling for Vengara Assembly by-poll in the state. It also came at a time the Congress at the National level was preparing to launch a massive campaign against the BJP on corruption charges. Besides a vigilance probe, a case of sexual assault will be registered against several leaders of the Congress and its coalition partners whose names featured in a letter written by Saritha Nair. The Solar Commission has said that getting sexual favours will be treated as a case of bribe. Cases would be registered against police officials K Pathmakumar, IPS and DYSP K Harikrishnan for helping the UDF leaders during the investigation. The case came into limelight after telephone conversation between the staff members of Mr Chandy and the prime accused Saritha Nair came up before the media. Subsequently, the LDF launched a series of agitation, forcing the UDF government to order a judicial inquiry. UNI