The personal financial documents of solar panel scandal accused Biju Radhakrishnan and Saritha S Nair leaked to the media here on Saturday says there are more persons who were victims in the fraud and the total amount swindled would exceed Rs 10 crore.
A copy of the handwritten list of Saritha has the name of Sreedharan Nair, a petitioner in the scam, though the amount is seen as Rs 30 lakh as against the Rs 40 lakh claim of Nair. While the amount due to some persons in the list were marked ‘repaid’, certain other names are marked as under arbitration. However, arbitration with regard to Sreedharan Nair is missing in the list.
The copy of Biju’s personal diary lists out cash receipts from Rs 70,000 to several lakhs. His list also contains names of more persons, who have not lodged any formal complaint. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing into the scandal, however, claimed that the documents were bogus. Top officials said the leaking could be intended to turn things in favour of the accused as many of the deals have been marked ‘’settled’’ in the list. ‘’We are investigating into 31 cases in which the total amount involved would amount to around Rs 7 crore. The victims of the fraud are the rich and affluent in society and if there were more victims they would have approached competent authorities,’’ SIT head ADGP A Hemachandran said.
Meanwhile, the SIT is now tracking the money trail in the fraud. It is also probing whether the swindled money had been stashed elsewhere. The SIT is learnt to have a fair idea on actor Shalu Menon’s role in the scam. After seizing her luxury car and ornaments, allegedly bought using the swindled money, the SIT is now collecting evidence of her financial transactions. ‘’The actor had paid advance money for a land deal in Kottayam. Probe is on to find her source of income for the deal,’’ said an official.
POLICE IN THE DARK ABOUT FIROZ
Police are still groping in the dark about the whereabouts of cheating case accused and PRD former director A Firoz. Though the probe team conducted raids on his relatives’ residences in Kaniyapuram here on Saturday they failed to get any information of the missing offi cial. ‘’He doesn’t maintain any contact with family members now. But we expect to get some leads soon as a lookout notice has been issued,’’said Narcotics Cell assistant commissioner Sajan Koyikkal, who heads the probe team. The offi cial said the accused is learnt to be in some hideout within the state. Police have warned the public against harbouring the accused. Lookout notices have been put up in all airports and major railway stations and bus stands. Meanwhile, the High Court will hear the anticipatory bail plea of Firoz on Monday. He had approached the High Court after the Principal Sessions Court here had rejected his plea. Firoz is an accused in a case fi led at the Medical College police station here in 2009. The petitioner Salim Basheer had alleged that one Sreekumaran Nair, one Lakshmi Nair and Firoz had defrauded him of Rs 40 lakh by promising him an ADB loan for his tourism project at Thirumala here.