Congress Demands Investigation into Alleged Plot to Frame Oommen Chandy in Solar Scam Case

The United Democratic Front (UDF) led by the Congress has called for an inquiry to uncover the orchestrators of a suspected plot to falsely implicate the late Kerala Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, in a sexual exploitation case linked to the solar scam. This demand by the UDF comes as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is handling the case, reportedly indicated the involvement of certain political leaders in framing Chandy.

In a report presented before a magisterial court, the CBI allegedly identified the political figures behind the scheme to ensnare Chandy in the legal matter. Responding to these developments, V D Satheesan, the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, called for the prosecution of those implicated in the CBI report for conspiring against the late Congress leader.

Satheesan asserted that Chandy’s reputation had been tarnished by political opponents who hunted him down. He further claimed that the conspiracy was designed to destabilize the UDF government in place at that time. He also emphasized that since the CBI probe was initiated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, he cannot evade responsibility for the alleged conspiracy.

In a similar vein, Congress MP K Muraleedharan stated that the party awaited the complete report’s public release and the court’s perspective on the matter. He stressed the party’s desire for a fair and impartial investigation into the alleged plot against Oommen Chandy, highlighting the need for the truth to emerge.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan echoed these demands for transparency and justice.

Saranya Manoj, a close relative of Kerala Congress (B) MLA K B Ganesh Kumar, contended that there was no political conspiracy in the case and expressed concern over the unwarranted allegations against Chandy. Both Manoj and Kumar were reportedly mentioned in the CBI report.

Former MLA P C George claimed he was approached to make a statement implicating Chandy but refused to do so. He alleged that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was involved in the conspiracy.

It is noteworthy that the CBI had cleared Chandy of sexual exploitation allegations made by a woman, who is the primary accused in the solar scam that rocked the state during his tenure nearly a decade ago. The CBI had previously exonerated four other Congress leaders accused in the same case.

The charges against these individuals had been filed over the years and investigated by the Kerala Police’s Crime Branch based on a complaint by the woman involved in the multi-crore solar panel scam. The CBI inquiry was initiated by the CPI(M)-led Kerala government in early 2021.