In the first of the 33 cases the Kerala police booked in the controversial solar scam in the State, a magistrate’s court on Thursday sentenced main accused Saritha S Nair and her accomplice Biju Radhakrishnan, founders of the solar panel supply firm that reportedly cheated investors, to three years of rigorous imprisonment.
Saritha and Biju were also fined ₹45 lakh and ₹75 lakh respectively.
The verdict was delivered by Judicial First Class Magistrate R Jayakrishnan at Pathanamthitta on a complaint by NRI Baburaj that the accused had swindled about ₹1.19 crore from him by offering a share in their company Team Solar, and the director’s post. Both the convicts were present in the court.
Biju, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of his first wife, is currently in jail.
Soon after Thursday’s verdict, Saritha told reporters that she appeal against the sentence. The court today allowed time for her to file an appeal in a higher court, and she was not arrested.
The two were found guilty of committing fraud and forging documents and signatures of public personalities for wooing deposits to their firm that proposed installing solar panels at businesses and residential buildings. So far, 33 cases have been registered against the two, who had lived together for a while before separating.
Political volcanoThe infamous solar scam, which erupted in June 2013, rocked Kerala politics. Police claim the two had cheated gullible investors of a total of nearly ₹7 crore.
The solar scam had at one time threatened to unsettle Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s position as three members in his personal staff had contacts with Saritha.
The three were sacked by Chandy.
Several politicians, including a former Union Minister from Kerala, had been alleged to have been friends with her.
She had made a lot of exposés against leading politicians in several television interviews and media interactions.