Solar panel to quiz Chandy, ministers

KOCHI: The judicial commission appointed by Kerala government to probe the solar scam will examine chief minister Oommen Chandy, few of his cabinet colleagues as well as some MLAs and MPs as witnesses.
The one-man commission headed by Justice (retd) G Sivarajan, during a sitting here on Wednesday, asked the parties involved in the case to submit the clarifications they would like to seek from the witnesses, including the chief minister, on December 20.The decision on summoning the witnesses would be taken based on the nature of clarifications to be sought. The commission has selected 127 witnesses from the list submitted by six individuals and groups who have approached it as parties in the case, as well by the commission’s advocate.
The lists include ministers Ramesh Chennithala, Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Shibu Baby John, AP Anil Kumar, 17 MLAs who raised questions on the issue in the Assembly, investigation team head ADGP A Hemachandran and Parliament members KC Venugopal, Kodikunnil Suresh and MI Shanavas. CPM leaders Pinarayi Vijayan and Vaikom Viswan as well as CPI leader Panniyan Raveendran also figure in the list.
Solar scam accused Saritha S Nair, Biju Radhakrishnan, Shalu Menon and Tenny Joppan are also in the list. Salim Raj, former gunman of Chandy, Jikkumon, former personal assistant of CM, Thomas Kuruvila, CM’s Delhi-based aide, are also named in it.
The commission sources said those who had levelled cheating complaints in the solar scam like Sreedharan Nair will be examined in the first phase. Those who levelled charges in the legislative bodies will be examined in the second phase and it will be followed by the examination of public personalities and media representatives who had exposed various allegations relating to the scam. Examination of the chief minister and ministers will happen in the last phase.
The one-man commission has asked parties involved to submit clarifications they would like to seek from the witnesses, including the CM, on December 20.