Kollam: Former Kerala minister and Pathanapuram legislator K B Ganesh Kumar was questioned by a CBI team probing a slew of sexual harassment cases linked to the sensational Solar Scam that rocked the United Democratic Front state government nearly a decade ago.
The investigators quizzed Ganesh Kumar soon after taking the statements of a few of the accused. The questioning was held at Pathanapuram in Kollam district.
It is alleged Ganesh Kumar had a key role in incriminating Congress leaders including the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. Other party leaders facing the charges include Hibi Eden, MP, and K C Venugopal, General Secretary.
The mastermind of the multicrore Solar Scam had filed complaint against six Congress leaders alleging sexual misconduct. It is widely believed Ganesh Kumar added the names of Congress leaders to a letter purportedly written by this woman who is the prime accused in the related case over duping investors in solar park projects.
Ganesh Kumar was reportedly asked on his links to the complainant.
Meanwhile, the former CM and his accused party colleagues are likely to be questioned by the central agency in the coming days.
The CBI took over the investigation into the harrasment cases last August. The cases against the six party leaders, including Chandy, were registered over the last several years and investigated by the Crime Branch of the Kerala Police based on a complaint by the woman, which stated she was sexually exploited by them in 2012.
The CPM-led Kerala government had recommended a CBI inquiry into the cases ahead of the state polls last year.
The opposition Congress had dubbed the move as "politically motivated", saying the CPM-led government could not find anything against the party leaders during the probe by the state police and took the decision as elections were around the corner.
In all six FIRs have been registered by the Kerala Crime Branch. The six accused are Chandy, Venugopal, Hibi Eden, Adoor Prakash, MP, A P Anil Kumar, and BJP leader A P Abdulla Kutty. The case against Kutty was registered in 2014 when he was a Congress MLA from Kannur. He later joined the BJP.
Adoor Prakash, an MP now, was an MLA when he was roiled in the allegation.
