Bengaluru court acquits Kerala's former CM Oommen Chandy in Solar case

Oommen Chandy was the fifth accused in the case.

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In what comes as a major relief to former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, a Bengaluru court acquitted him in a case related to the infamous Solar scam.

The Bengaluru City Civil court on Saturday acquitted the senior Congress leader, who was the fifth accused in a cheating case filed by a Bengaluru-based Malayali businessman MK Kuruvila. Kuruvila had moved the court, accusing Oommen Chandy and five others of taking money to the tune of Rs 1.35 crore on the promise of helping him set up a franchise to sell solar panels.

Acquitting Oommen Chandy of all charges, the court said that the prosecution had failed to prove his involvement in the case. The charges against the other five accused, will however, stay.

The same court, had in October last year, asked Oommen Chandy and the other five accused in the case, to pay a sum of Rs 1.6 crore to Kuruvila, including 12% interest and other court expenses within a period of six months. This was, however, made through an ex-parte order, which means that the court had only heard the prosecution before pronouncing the verdict.

However, Oommen Chandy had then moved the court, petitioning to set aside the order. Following this, he appeared before the court several times.

Background of the case

The recovery suit was filed by Kuruvila in March 2015. Kuruvila alleged that he knew Oommen Chandy through his close relative Andrews-who is the first accused in the case. Kuruvila alleged that he had spoken to Chandy on phone and that Chandy had received over Rs one crore from him.

The alleged incident is said to have happened between 2011 and 2012, according to Kuruvila's complaint. He alleged that he had repeatedly been summoned to New Delhi by people working in Oommen Chandy’s office and they took a bribe of Rs 1.35 crore.

Kuruvila had allegedly fallen into the solar web through Saritha Nair, the woman known as the brain behind the scam.

Saritha had allegedly promised Kuruvila a franchise of the solar panel firm and put him in touch with Chandy’s office.

Kuruvila's case is only one among the many cases registered in the controversial Solar scam case.

Meanwhile, Justice Sivarajan who heads a commission formed by the government to look into the Solar scam case in Kerala, submitted its report to CM Pinarayi Vijayan recently. The commission was set up in 2013.