KOCHI: The Justice G Sivarajan Judicial Commission probing the Solar scam case on Thursday said it was unusual that DySP K Harikrishnan bypassed the investigation officer while initiating procedures to arrest key accused Saritha S Nair in July 2013.
The Commission also asked Harikrishnan why Saritha’s residence was not inspected, while she was arrested in front of her house at Edapazhanji in Thiruvananthapuram.
Harikrishnan in his reply said that though he was not the investigation officer, Inspector General K Padmakumar had directed him to supervise the probe. According to him, after guidelines were issued to circle inspector Roy, no arrest procedures were initiated and the probe was dragging.
At that juncture, Harikrishnan deputed two policemen who are experts in crime investigation to find Saritha’s place of residence. On June 2, 2013, Harikrishnan sent two sub-inspectors and two women constables to Thiruvananthapuram to arrest Saritha, based on a tip-off that she would be visiting the rented house at Edapazhanji. The procedures were initiated after consulting the investigation officer.
The team arrested Saritha in front of her residence when she came there in a vehicle, along with her mother, and recovered two mobile phones from her.
Harikrishnan also visited the spot and instructed the policemen to shift the accused to the office of the Perumbavoor circle inspector.
Replying to the question over inspecting Saritha’s residence, Harikrishnan said the police usually do not search residence of those accused in cheating cases. Also, Saritha was arrested early in the morning, which was not a proper time to check her residence.
According to Harikrishnan, the Solar case was treated only as a normal cheating case until the arrest of Saritha.