Cong leader denies solar scam accused Saritha's charges

Congress leader Thampanoor Ravi today denied solar scam accused Saritha S Nair's charges that he had tried to influence her to not reveal facts related to the scam.
Ravi, an influential general secretary of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), however, admitted that he and Saritha had over 500 telephonic talks in one year's time.
Deposing before Justice G Sivarajan Commission probing the scam, Ravi also said he has never met Saritha on behalf of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
"I have never tried to influence her or her mother to cool down solar case. I have not telephoned her mother," Ravi told the Commission.

During her deposition before the Commission in January this year, Saritha had alleged that Ravi had spoken to her mother, assuring that all the cases and financial issues related to the solar business could be settled.
She had also alleged that Benny Behanan, MLA, and Ravi had also spoken to her mother through the phones of Advocate Fenny Balakrishnan and Pradeep Kumar, seeking help.

"They (Ravi and Benny) had assured my mother that the money collected from me would be returned," Saritha had said.
Ravi told the Commission that Saritha's charges were "politically motivated" and it was meant to "destabilise" the UDF government headed by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

When the Commission showed Ravi details of his over 500 telephonic conversations with Saritha from May 16, 2015 to January 26, 2016, he said he is a political worker and attends to calls to his phone.
Ravi was summoned before the Commission after Saritha had submitted before the panel a CD containing her alleged conversations with him.
She had alleged that Ravi tried to influence her on behalf of the Chief Minister.
Saritha had also alleged that it was at the insistence of Ravi that she filed a sexual harassment case against Congress MLA A P Abdullakutty to "cool down" the heat generated by the scam.

The solar panel scam pertains to alleged duping of several persons to the tune of crores of rupees by Saritha and her accomplice Biju Radhakrishnan by offering solar panel solutions.