Thiruvananthapuram: Solar scam accused Saritha S Nair was arrested by Kozhikode Kasaba police from her house in the state capital on Thursday in connection with a fraud case. She was arrested for failing to appear before a court in Kozhikode, even after multiple summons.
The warrant was issued by the Kozhikode Chief Judicial Magistrate Court-3 in a case of cheating committed by her when she took money from a person but failed to deliver solar panels to him.
The case, filed by Kozhikode native Abdul Majeed, is that Saritha, Biju Radhakrishnan and their driver Manimon swindled Rs 42.70 lakh from Majeed offering solar panels and franchisee for solar power plant. The case was registered at Kozhikode Kasaba Police station.
She was produced before the court on Thursday which sent her on remand custody till April 27, when the verdict of the case will be delivered. She will be taken to the CFLTC of the Central Prison, Kannur.
Biju Radhakrishanan and Saritha Nair are the first and second accused respectively in the case, the trial of which began on January 25, 2018.
The court was set to deliver the verdict in the case last month. However, Saritha refused to appear before the court.
Saritha S Nair and her accomplice Biju Radhakrishnan had swindled many people of crores of rupees promising to install solar panels and offering franchise and jobs in their company, Team Solar Renewable Energy Solutions Company.
Incidentally Saritha can take the credit for bringing down the 2011-16 Oommen Chandy government on account of the scams involving her and a few office members of the Chandy office, which the Left used widely in their election campaign in 2016.
This case in which she has been arrested was registered during the tenure of the Chandy government and according to reports there are around half a dozen similar cheating cases registered against her starting from 2012 at various police stations in Kerala.
At the fag end of the present Pinarayi Vijayan government, she is creating heartbreaks to the present administration in an alleged fake appointment racket case, in which one person has already been arrested.
Earlier, the police had faced severe criticism over delaying Saritha'a arrest even after court issued warrants and she was named accused in the job fraud case.
In the fake appointment case, where money was collected from various people promising them a job at the state-run Kerala State Beverages Corporation (Bevco), the police have already arrested a partner of Saritha Nair.
On Wednesday, an audio clip believed to be that of Saritha Nair surfaced wherein she is heard talking about the role of Excise Minister T P Ramakrishnan and the then MD of Bevco Sparjan Kumar - a top IPS official.
Flatly denying having anything to do with the fake appointment case, Ramakrishnan said, "Never ever have I had anything to do with such people. Strict action will be taken against any foul play if it has happened in the appointments made," said the minister.
