Kerala CM kept Cabinet in the dark while referring solar case to CBI

Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: The recent decision to recommend a CBI probe into the sexual allegations in the sensational solar case that had roiled the previous Oommen Chandy regime was taken by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarai Vijayan in his capacity as the home minister.

Though the gazette notification in this regard was issued on January 23, the matter was not conveyed at the Cabinet meeting held on the same day. The matter did not come up for discussion either at the Cabinet meeting held two days earlier.

This unilateral move lends credence to the belief that Pinarayi is avenging Chandy for ordering a CBI probe into the SNC-Lavalin case in 2006. Moreover, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) wants to exploit again the scandal in the upcoming Assembly election as it had done five years ago. LDF partners skeptical

Some ministers belonging to coalition partners in LDF are reportedly skeptical about the outcome of the CM's decision to assign the probe to the CBI. A section in the ruling leadership fears that the issue could boomerang as it is widely held the case pertaining to the sexual crimes linked to the solar scandal are cooked up by political opponents to settle scores with Congress leaders.

Senior Congress leaders Oommen Chandy, KC Venugopal, A P Anilkumar MLA, MPs Adoor Prakash and Hibi Eden and BJP national vice-president A P Abdulla Kutty were the accused in the case which pertains to the alleged sexual exploitation of a woman entrepreneur who was apparently into the business of setting up

solar farms.

The Kerala government issued the order to transfer six cases to the central agency on January 24.

Complaint forwarded

The state government has handed over the complaint of the woman accused in the solar case to the CBI for further investigation.

The notification issued by the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) in this connection would be sent to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) which functions under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions of the Union government.

CBI's call now

It is up to the CBI to decide if it has to take up a case with political ramifications. The DoPT will send the state government's file to the CBI. It is for the CBI to decide whether the matter warrants a probe or not. A fresh FIR will have to be registered if the agency decides to take up the probe.

Even though the previous UDF government had also asked the CBI to probe T P Chandrashekharan and K T Jayakrishnan Master murder cases, the central agency had declined to take up the investigations in the two cases. The present government had sent the Titanium graft case to the CBI, but the latter declined to take up the probe.

If the CBI decides not to take up the solar case probe, it would convey the decision to the state government through the DoPT.

Usually the state government demands a CBI probe when there are inter-state jurisdictional issues are involved or when the investigations by the state government agencies like the police reach a dead-end or when the complainants allege that they have no faith in the state police.

 

 

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