KOZHIKODE: Six years of rigorous imprisonment and fine was slapped on controversial entrepreneur Saritha S Nair, who was found guilty in a cheating case related to setting up of solar panels. The Judicial Magistrate Court here announced its verdict on Tuesday in the presence of Saritha, who is the second accused in the case, the first accused being her former partner Biju Radhakrishnan. B Manimon, of Kodungalloor, who forged documents, is the third accused.
The verdict was announced based on a case filed by Kozhikode native Abdul Majeed of St Vincent Colony accusing Saritha of cheating him to the tune of Rs 42.60 lakh after promising to install solar panels at his residence and office. Majeed also had claimed that apart from installing solar panels, she also had offered franchisees in Kozhikode, Kannur, Malappuram and Wayanad and also promised franchisees of windmill farm companies. A huge amount was also taken by the accused by extending these offers to him, he added in his statement.
The case got prolonged as Saritha failed to appear before the court for more than four times. The case again got delayed after the magistrate got transferred in May 2019 and later when the new magistrate assumed charge, the trial was restarted. But yet again she failed to appear when the court was to pronounce its verdict in February 2021. After all these years of court proceedings, the magistrate announced the verdict on Tuesday.
The case filed by Majeed was registered at Kozhikode Kasaba police station. Warrants already exist in the name of Saritha in Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta and Kozhikode districts in the solar scam case. The police department drew flak several times for delaying Saritha’s arrest even after courts issued multiple warrants against her. Based on the job fraud case charged on her, the police had arrested her from Thiruvananthapuram last week.
As the court found out that a criminal conspiracy also took place in connection with the case, it did not consider the submission of Saritha that she was innocent and that Biju Radhakrishnan cheated her.