PATHANAMTHITTA:In the first verdict in the sensational solar scam, the Pathanamthitta Judicial First Class Magistrate Court I on Thursday sentenced accused Biju Radhakrishnan and Saritha S Nair to six years of rigorous imprisonment for cheating and forgery.
Since the sentences run concurrent they would have to undergo only three years of incarceration each.
Judicial First Class Magistrate R Jayakrishnan pronounced the verdict based on a complaint filed by Aranmula-based NRI Baburaj for cheating amounting to Rs 1.19 crore. The incident took place in 2012.
The court awarded Baburaj a compensation of Rs 75 lakh to be paid by Biju Radhakrishnan and Rs 45 lakh to be paid by Saritha.
In the petition, Baburaj said he was misled by the accused, who produced a fake letter in the name of the Chief Minister and also made claims that the project has his patronage.
The court granted one-month bail for Saritha. Biju Radhakrishnan, who is undergoing life term in Reshmi murder case, was sent to jail.
The court, allowed time for Saritha to file an appeal in a higher court.
An appeal against the verdict will filed in a week, said Saritha S Nair.
According to the prosecution, the accused promised Baburaj the post of director in the company Team Solar and took Rs 1.17 crore from him. They also collected Rs 1.16 lakh by promising to install solar panels in his residence.
There were 34 witnesses in the case. The trial court also examined 77 documents. Three staff members of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy were sacked after it was found that they had maintained links with Saritha Nair in the scam which surfaced in June 2013.
Saritha and Biju Radhakrishnan are accused of cheating many investors by promising to supply them with solar panels worth millions of rupees.