Saritha Nair gets 6-year jail term in solar scam case

Kozhikode: A judicial first class magistrate court in Kozhikode, north Kerala on Tuesday sentenced Saritha S Nair to six years rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 40,000 in a cheating case related to the solar panel scam.

Saritha was the second accused in the case related to the infamous scam that rocked Kerala during the previous Congress-led UDF rule.

The Judicial First Class Magistrate-III K Nimmi acquitted the third accused B Manimon, while the verdict of Biju Radhakrishnan, the first accused in this case, was put on hold for pronouncement later as he had applied for leave for being under quarantine. The court found Nair guilty of breach of trust, cheating, forging documents and other offence

The court awarded the imprisonment in four different crimes including cheating. A fine of Rs 10000 has been pronounced in four crimes, totalling Rs 40,000.

Congress leader and former home minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan welcomed the verdict. "The ruling front has used her to target Congress leaders. It is a slap on its face," he said.

Acting on a warrant issued by the court, Saritha was arrested from her residence in Thiruvananthapuram by the investigating officer last week and remanded to judicial custody after being brought to Kozhikode.

The warrant was issued against her as she failed to appear in court.

Biju Radhakrishanan and Saritha Nair are the first and second accused respectively in the case, the trial of which began on January 25, 2018.

This is one of the 30-odd complaints registered against the duo in the solar cheating case in 2013. According to a complaint filed by Kozhikode native Abdul Majeed with the police in 2012, the two accused -- Nair and Biju Radhakrishnan had taken Rs 42.70 lakhs from him for providing franchise in their company besides installing solar panels in his office and house.

But, neither was the contract executed nor the money refunded, the complainant stated.

The trial court was to deliver the judgement in February but since the accused did not turn up, the pronouncement had to be postponed.

Saritha S Nair and her accomplice Biju Radhakrishnan had swindled many people of crores of rupees promising to install solar panels and offering franchise and jobs in their company, Team Solar Renewable Energy Solutions Company