Solar scam: Police record Chandy's statement in 'blackmail' case

Thiruvananthapuram: Police have recorded former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's statement based on BJP leader K. Surendran's complaint on the former's remark that he was blackmailed in the solar scam.

The multi-crore solar energy investment fraud that rocked then Chandy government in 2013 was led by Saritha Nair and her live-in partner Biju Radhakrishnan. It also came to light that a section of the Chief Minister's Office had links with the couple.

Police had spend an hour with Chandy at his residence here on Monday, officials said on Tuesday.

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Chandy, at the height of then Left Opposition onslaught against him, had announced a judicial probe.

The probe report was submitted last year, which was accepted by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who announced registering cases against Chandy and a dozen senior Congress politicians, besides placing the report in the assembly at a special one-day session.

Soon after the report was placed, Chandy at a press conference claimed he has done no wrong. He also blurted out that he was subjected to 'blackmail' in the case.

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When this comment made big headlines, Chandy clarified it was not done by a politician. Soon after this statement, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader K. Surendran filed a complaint with the state police chief.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Surendran said he filed the complaint because the statement came from a former Chief Minister.

"A Chief Minister is not an ordinary person and if someone is blackmailing him, it is a very serious crime," said Surendran.

IANS