Oommen Chandy to challenge court order

THRIUVANANTHAPURAM: Both the Congress and the CPM have taken a cautious approach to the ex-parte (in the absence of respondents) verdict by a Bengaluru sessions court against former chief minister Oommen Chandy in a cheating case.Chandy will challenge the verdict in the high court, sources said.
Industrialist M K Kuruvila in his plea, had alleged that a group of people, including a relative of Chandy and a Youth Congress leader, took a bribe of Rs 1.3 crore from him for letting him set up a solar power project in Kerala.
Though veteran CPM leader and former chief minister V S Achuthanandan had asked Oommen Chandy to quit politics and offer public apology soon after the verdict, CPM general secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan didn't raise such a demand on Tuesday when he met re porters. Kodiyeri said the verdict has vindicated the LDF's stand on the solar scam. He said Chandy's claim that his side of the story was not heard by the court wouldn't survive public scrutiny.
Sources said the CPM will form an opinion in the case only after analysing the judgement in detail. The par ty wants to cross check Chandy's claim that the verdict was ex-parte. Though several CPM leaders expressed the opinion that Chandy must resign as an MLA, the party directed them not to raise such a demand till it forms its opinion. The leaders who insisted on stepping up attack against Chandy said the claim that the court did not hear him, does not hold.
“Chandy said he was not issued summons in the case.He was well aware of the case and his counsel had appeared in the court,“ said a CPM leader. Surprisingly , not many Congress leaders came out defending Chandy .Senior leader A K Antony said Chandy had already made it clear that the verdict was ex-parte. KPCC president V M Sudheeran and opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala didn't react to the devlopment though V S Achuthanandan had demanded to know the opinion of both the leaders.
The court, on Monday , had ordered six people, including Oommen Chandy , to pay a compensation of Rs 1.61 crore to Kuruvila for cheating him in the name of setting up a solar power plant.Kuruvila had alleged that Chandy repeatedly assured him of his support for setting up the project.