KOLLAM : New revelations suggest that the Solar controversy, which shook Kerala politics, was a result of a planned conspiracy by Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar and Saritha S. Nair to destroy former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. Crucial depositions incriminating Ganesh Kumar were recorded during the proceedings of a case filed by Adv. Sudhir Jacob, through Adv. Jolly Alex, in the Kottarakkara Judicial First Class Magistrate Court.
Conspiracy at Pathanapuram Party Office
According to the deposition given in court by Adv. S.E. Sanjay Khan, a member of Ganesh Kumar’s former personal staff and an advocate at Punalur Court, the conspiracy took place in May 2015 at the party office in Pathanapuram. Sanjay Khan revealed that he and C.R. Najeeb directly overheard Ganesh Kumar telling Saritha, “The CM (Oommen Chandy) must also be included in this case; otherwise, our plan will not succeed. Everything else is in my hands.” He further stated that the motive behind this move was Ganesh Kumar’s intense resentment for not being re-inducted into the cabinet following his resignation due to family issues. The deposition also mentions that Ganesh Kumar threatened to humiliate Oommen Chandy by involving him in a sexual exploitation case.
Deposition of Former ‘Veekshanam’ Editor S. Sudheer
The deposition of S. Sudheer, former Resident Editor of Veekshanam daily, also became a turning point in the case regarding the news reporting of the event. Sudheer informed the court that details regarding the conspiracy came to light during a press conference called by Saritha S. Nair’s former counsel, Feni Balakrishnan, in Thiruvananthapuram on November 11, 2017.
Feni Balakrishnan had revealed then that the 25-page letter submitted by Saritha before the Solar Commission was fabricated. He clarified that four additional pages were forged at the behest of Ganesh Kumar to defame UDF leaders, including Oommen Chandy. He further specified that the original letter Saritha had entrusted to him consisted of only 21 pages.
Judicial Commission Used as a Tool
Based on these revelations by Feni Balakrishnan, Sudheer confirmed in court the news report he prepared for Veekshanam daily under the headline “Judicial Commission Used as a Tool to Defame Public Figures.” He identified the news report published on the fifth page of Veekshanam on November 12, 2017, along with supporting documents. He stated in his deposition that the news was prepared based on the information obtained during the said press conference.
The new revelations emerging from this petition filed by Adv. Sudhir Jacob are likely to pose a significant political and legal setback for Minister Ganesh Kumar in the coming days.