Shalu Menon, actor, told the District and Sessions Court Judge, Ashok Menon, here on Thursday that Biju Radhakrishnan, accused in the solar scam, had never mentioned to her that he had a wife by the name of Reshmi.
Testifying as prosecution witness number 47 in the Reshmi murder case, Shalu said she had been under the impression that Saritha S. Nair, scam accused, was Biju’s wife. She learnt about Reshmi from news reports about Biju in connection with the solar scam.
During chief examination by Special Public Prosecutor G. Mohanraj, she said Biju introduced himself to her as Dr. R.B. Nair when he came to meet her in connection with producing an advertisement film for his company Team Solar. He soon became an acquaintance and offered to install solar panels on her new house. She paid him Rs. 20 lakh for the work and as surety, he gave a signed blank cheque.
Later, one day, while travelling to Thrissur with her mother, she gave Biju a lift. In Thrissur, he borrowed her mother’s mobile phone, saying his phone was out of order. He then went to Coimbatore. By that time, she became aware that he was on the run. Though he called up from Coimbatore, she disconnected the call and informed the Changanassery police about it.
Forensic evidence
S. Prameela, Assistant Director, Forensic Science Laboratory, Thiruvananthapuram, who appeared as prosecution witness number 20, told the court that the clothes worn by Reshmi during the intervening night of her death contained traces of ethyl alcohol.
The prosecution charge is that Biju forcibly made Reshmi consume alcohol and killed her. Their 11-year-old son testified so as witness number one in the case.
The Additional Director General of Police (Crimes), Vincent M. Paul, and the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Kollam Crime Branch Criminal Investigation Department, C.G. Suresh Kumar, who investigated the case, were present in the court.
