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Thursday was a highly charged day in the Kerala political circles, for the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government was set to table the 1073 page Solar Commission inquiry report in the Assembly.
The United Democratic Front (UDF), that is in the opposition in the state, was the centre of attention, as the Commission report named several top Congress leaders, including former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
Apart from finding that leaders like Oommen Chandy and Aryadan Mohammed had taken bribes, the Commission has recommended that allegations of sexual assault and rape by the first accused Saritha S Nair against senior members of the Congress be probed.
In her letter, Saritha Nair alleged that Oommen Chandy physically exploited her and made her perform sexual favours at the Cliff house several times. This, apart from allegedly taking Rs 2 crore and 16 lakh from her.
The report says that the United Democratic Front led by the Congress received the money as reward from Team Solar for giving assurance to set up the Solar Power Plant.
Further, she has alleged that then minister Aryadan Mohammed, Minister for Tourism AP Anil Kumar, sexually harassed and exploited her. Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash not only sexually harassed her, but also indulged in telephone sex, Saritha alleged.
One of the youngest Congress MLAs Hibi Eden has also been accused of sexually harassing Saritha at MLA hostel.
Other people Saritha had accused of sexually harassing her are MOS Finance Palani Manickam, KPCC General Secretary N Subramaniyan, IG K Padmakumar, former Kochi Commissioner Ajith Kumar.
"Going by this letter if the facts stated therein are true, then, the allegations raised in the Assembly and outside as settled by the Commission has got basis and the persons dealt with in the letter, it can be seen, had assisted Team Solar Company and its two Directors Saritha S Nair and Biju Radhakrishnan one way or the other," the Commission observed. It is a matter to be considered with reference to the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
"Illegal gratification contemplated under the PC Act need not be confined to money or any other property. Giving sexual satisfaction, according to Commission is also one coming under gratification, Section & (b) of the PC Act," the Commission said.
Although the government pleader argued that sex is not the subject matter for inquiry by this Commission, the Commission, accepting that "sex and sexual satisfaction are matters which vary from person to person,"
In the Solar cases, the sex and sexual satisfaction are connected with public servants who are the heads of the administration, the Commission pointed out.
The Commission has asked to inquire whether there is any substance in the allegations. The persons mentioned in Saritha's letter were found to have been in contact with her and her advocate, the Commission noted.
(This article was originally published by The New Minute.)
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