In an embarrassment to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the solar panel scam, one of the complainants on Wednesday denied in the Kerala High Court that he had made any statement to the police absolving Chief Minister Oommen Chandy of any role in the deal to set up a solar plant at the Kinfra Park in Palakkad.
The statement by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and SIT head A. Hemachandran in this regard was “incorrect and false,” Sreedharan Nair, who owns Mallelil Industries at Konni, said in a statement filed in the court.
Mr. Nair said he had not told the police that he did not consider that the Chief Minister had any role in the deal.
Hearing the matter, Justice V.K. Mohanan said as the statement was ‘serious’ in nature, the complainant should file an affidavit.
The ADGP, in a statement filed in the court a couple of days ago, said that during questioning, Mr. Nair had said that the Chief Minister had no role in the deal, which he had entered into with one of the accused, Saritha S. Nair, for setting up a solar plant. According to Mr. Nair, Saritha had received Rs.40 lakh to set up the plant at the Kinfra Park in association with Team Solar.
Mr. Nair said though he was questioned in the presence of his lawyer on August 4, he did not give any such statement.
He said no statement was recorded from him after the statement he gave under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before the Magistrate.
He claimed that he had stated correct facts before the Magistrate.
Mr. Nair questioned the propriety of issuing notice to him for consent to polygraph and lie-detector test. Being an aggrieved person and de facto complainant, he would not undergo such a test, he said.
The statement was filed on a petition by Joy Kaitharath seeking to retrieve closed-circuit television visuals of the Chief Minister’s Office, which has come under a cloud after the arrest of former aides of Mr. Chandy.
Mr. Nair had also given a statement before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Pathanamthitta, that he had met the Chief Minister in his office.
He was alleged to have included the name of the Chief Minister in the complaint at a later stage.
In this background, he was again questioned by the police when the police claimed that he had said that the Chief Minister had no role.
