Kerala solar scam | Congress sees political victory in CBI’s decisions to drop charges against six senior leaders
The Hindu
Leader of Opposition V. D. Satheesan demands a public apology from CM Pinarayi Vijayan for referring the case to the CBI.
Congress perceived a political victory in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) ‘s purported move to absolve former Chief Minister Oomen Chandy and five other senior leaders of any wrongdoing in the sexual exploitation complaint filed against them by the woman accused in the 2014 Solar Investment Fraud case.
Leader of Opposition, V. D. Satheesan, demanded a public apology from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for referring the case to the CBI to “squeeze political advantage” in the run-up to the 2021 Assembly elections.
He said Mr. Vijayan overlooked three State police investigations that found no evidence of culpability and despatched the case to the CBI to wreak political vengeance and gain electoral advantage on the eve of the elections.
Congress claimed the CBI also found scant evidence to indict (AICC) general secretary K.C. Venugopal and former Ministers Adoor Prakash and AP Anil Kumar; Hiby Eden, MP; Abdullah Kutty, currently a top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionary in the politically sensational case.
The CBI filed the report in a sealed cover at the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. The details still needed to emerge in the public domain.
Mr. Satheesan said Mr. Vijayan should express regret for the pain and disgrace he visited on the leaders’ families. The CBI reportedly suspected that the accuser committed perjury.
The alleged victim of the sex-for-political patronage scandal that rocked the previous Oommen Chandy government said she would appeal the CBI’s decision to discharge the suspects.
Almaya Munnettam (Lay People to the Fore), group in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church opposed to the synod-recommended Mass, rejected a circular issued by Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil and apostolic administrator Bosco Puthur on June 9 to implement the unified Mass in the archdiocese from July 3.
Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten stated that “not so great decision making” contributed to his side’s defeat to India in the Group-A T20 World Cup clash here on Sunday. The batting unit came apart in the chase, after being well placed at 72 for two. With 48 runs needed from eight overs, Pakistan found a way to panic and lose. “Maybe not so great decision making,” Kirsten said at the post-match press conference, when asked to explain the loss.