Solar spectre returns to haunt Kerala, but roles are reversed this time

The CBI’S inquiry report, which was submitted in a Thiruvananthapuram court in December 2022, cleared former Kerala chief minister, the late Oommen Chandy, of the accusations of sexual exploitation made against him by the prime accused of the solar scam case. According to the portion of the report leaked by the online portal, the main accused of the solar scam was coerced into naming names, including that of Ommen Chandy, in a sexual harassment complaint.

The report identifies LDF MLA KB Ganeshkumar from the Kerala Congress (B), who was previously associated with the UDF when the scandal unfolded, along with a contentious intermediary named VG Nandakumar. They are alleged to have pressured the accused individuals into lodging a sexual harassment complaint against Oommen Chandy, according to the CBI.

The Opposition did not miss the opportunity to pounce upon the LDF government to prove their point that the CPI(M) and the LDF were hell bent on tarnishing the image of their leaders, including Oommen Chandy.

"The CBI report shows the CPM leadership will stoop to any level for political gain. The LDF front is no different. The fraudster was summoned and made to write her complaint. The CM followed this up by ordering a CBI probe. The CM also cannot escape his role in the conspiracy" said VD Satheesan, leader of the Opposition.

The solar ‘spectre’

The solar scandal garnered widespread attention 10 years ago when the woman accused and her accomplice Biju Radhakrishnan were apprehended. They were charged of deceiving business individuals by boasting about their influential connections, which reportedly included Oommen Chandy. Apart from the woman and her associate, a couple of staff members of Chandy’s office also was arrested in connection with the case.

Another case involving political leaders, including Oommen Chandy, popped up in July 2013 on the basis of a letter written by the accused woman who was in judicial custody to the police commissioner, making allegations of sexual misconduct and corruption against multiple UDF figures, which included two late Congress leaders, Oommen Chandy and Aryadan Mohamamed, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, Hibi Eaden, AP Abdullakutty (who is now the state vice-president of BJP), Kerala Congress (Mani) leader Jose K Mani and certain individuals from their personal staff. The letter became a subject of dispute as the UDF alleged that the original version contained only 21 pages, but an additional four pages were subsequently appended to it.

Opposition initiates adjournment motion

The issue stirred up the legislative Assembly when it resumed its sessions following the Puthuppally by-election, in which Chandy Oommen, the son of the late Oommen Chandy, secured a resounding victory. Interestingly, it was Chandy Oommen's very first day in the Kerala Assembly when they deliberated on the solar scandal and its aftermath, which also involved his deceased father.

An adjournment motion by the Opposition saw heated exchanges between the ruling and Opposition parties. While introducing the motion, Shafi Parambil of the Congress called for a public apology from the CPI(M) in connection with allegations against Oommen Chandy and also insisted on an investigation to find whether the Chief Minister and his government were involved, in any way, in the allegations of sexual misconduct against the prominent Congress leader.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in his reply said his government would legally examine and take requisite action on any request by the Congress-led UDF opposition for a CBI probe into the alleged criminal conspiracy to implicate Oommen Chandy in a sexual exploitation case. Vijayan said while there was no material before the government to take such action on its own and if the Opposition provides the same with its request, it would be considered.

Exchange of accusations

During the Assembly discussion, the ruling and Opposition members engaged in a renewed exchange of accusations regarding who was responsible for conspiring against Oommen Chandy. While the Opposition maintained, now additionally relying on the leaked CBI report, that it was the CPI(M) and LDF leaders were behind it. On the other hand, the ruling front leaders hit back by accusing the factional fight with in the Congress for the move against Oommen Chandy. It was an open secret back in the days that senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, who was a member of the Oommen Chandy’s Cabinet and VD Satheesan, the present leader of Opposition had bad blood with their own Chief Minister. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan cleverly mentioned it during his reply for the adjournment motion in the Assembly. Many Congress leaders, including Satheesan and K Muraleedharan, MP, had come on record against Oommen Chandy and his faction in the party during the period of the solar controversy.

Media in the dock?

It is said that the leaked CBI report also implicates a prominent news channel in paying the accused party Rs 50 lakh in exchange for obtaining a copy of the contentious letter. The funds were allegedly transferred through the controversial intermediary, who is reported to have confessed to the CBI that he was instructed by certain CPI(M) leaders to leak the letter to the media. However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan dismissed this claim, referring to a previous incident when he had literally shown the door to TG Nandakumar, the controversial middleman in Kerala house New Delhi.

Who gained from solar ‘energy’?

The solar scandal that rocked the state was instrumental for the Left Democratic Front’s resounding victory in 2016, capitalizing on the damaging accusations against the UDF government, led by the Congress. Later, the CPI(M)-led LDF government constituted a special investigation team and subsequently handed over the case to the CBI in January 2021, just a few months before the state Assembly elections.

Police investigation and judicial inquiry

On the other hand, the judicial inquiry commission appointed by the UDF government had indicted Oommen Chandy along with his personal staff for aiding the woman accused and her company in cheating their customers. The commission headed by Justice G Sivarajan delivered his report to the government four years after the UDF government appointed the commission. In the report, Chandy has been accused of receiving an amount of Rs 2.16 crore as commission. The commission report had graphic details of ex-Kerala CM’s alleged sexual act with the woman accused, as narrated by her.