KOCHI: A day after breaking down before the Solar Commission while being questioned about the paternity of her second child, Solar scam accused Saritha S Nair on Wednesday gave the Commission a miss citing health problem. Justice G Sivarajan Judicial Commission, while hearing from the counsel of Saritha, orally stated that such acts by the accused were suspicious.
The Commission, after winding up the procedures early on Tuesday, had asked Saritha to appear again by 11 am on Wednesday. However, when the sitting began, C D Johny, the counsel for Saritha, informed the Commission that Saritha could not appear as she was not keeping well. “She will be meeting the doctor in the afternoon, hence no medical certificate can be produced now. Saritha would have to undergo scanning as well,” the Commission was informed. Johny requested the Commission to postpone the examination of Saritha to Dec 21.
On this, Justice G Sivarajan told that one of the staff members of the Commission had noted that Saritha was wearing a nose ring at the time of giving statement on Tuesday. While breaking down, she rubbed the nose which might have caused injury inside her nostril causing bleeding. Blood was seen only when she wiped the face using the handkerchief. The Commission, noticing this, had sent a lady staff member along with Saritha when she went for washing her face. The staffer later reported to the Commission that blood came due to injury inside the nostril.
Later Commission said it was looking to complete the inquiry as fast as it could but witness turning away from giving statement was ‘really unconvincing’. Statements of witnesses including Saritha, Biju and Shalu Menon are very important part of the inquiry. Commission permitted Saritha’s counsel Johny to speak to her over phone to ask whether she could appear on Friday. The counsel, after speaking to Saritha, submitted that she could appear only on Dec 21.
Roshan Alexander, the government pleader, said the state wanted the Commission to complete the inquiry as fast as possible.
When Saritha’s counsel gave assurance that Saritha would be appearing on December 21, the Commission decided to give her enough time. It ordered Saritha should appear before it by 11 am on Dec 21.
Biju’s counsel Backs Out from Case
Kochi: Biju Radhakrishnan’s counsel K Mohan Kumar relinquished the vakalath and decided not to appear before Solar Commission paving way for former to cross examine another accused in the case, Saritha S Nair. Mohan Kumar on Wednesday filed a petition stating that he would not be appearing for Biju in the case any longer. On Tuesday, Biju had filed a petition before the Commission seeking permission to cross examine Saritha using the provision under section 8(b) of Commission of Inquiry Act. However, dismissing the petition, Commission stated that since Biju had appointed an advocate to represent him before the Commission, only the counsel could be permitted to cross examine Saritha.