Solar scam: Prime accused Saritha levels serious charges against Oommen Chandy

January 29, 2016

Kochi, Jan 29: In a new twist to the solar panel scam, prime accused Saritha S Nair on Friday levelled fresh charges against chief minister Oommen Chandy, saying he had urged her to create a company involving his family members including son Chandy Oommen to do renewable energy business.

SarithaSaritha, who deposed before Justice Sivarajan Commission probing the solar panel scam, said she had a discussion with the chief minister regarding formation of the company to carry out renewable energy business.

"I was told to create a cooperative institution - Kerala Renewable Energy Cooperative Society Ltd- involving Chandy Oommen and some other family members. I was told to incorporate details about renewable energy resources in its bylaws," she told the commission.

Saritha, whose startling revelations about the scam before the commission have rocked Kerala, alleged that there was a suggestion that the solar panels required for the company could be imported from abroad.

She alleged that Chandy Oommen was a partner of an American firm called Starflames Inc and it was suggested that the US-based company could be used for importing solar panel required for the institution to be formed in Kerala.

Saritha rejected allegations that she had "illicit relations" with Chandy Oommen but admitted that she had business relations with the chief minister's son.

"There are allegations about illicit relations with Chandy Oommen. Unfortunately, I am not the heroine of such stories....it was another accused in the solar case. I am not revealing the name as I don't have evidences to establish it and also it is a matter affecting their privacy," she said.

Saritha claimed that she has heard that then home minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan was in possession of video clippings which shows Chandy Oommen and her co-accused in the solar case visiting Dubai together.

"I doubt Radhakrishnan had leaked information about the video clippings to media fearing a cabinet reshuffle," she said.

There was no immediate reaction from Chandy Oommen about Saritha's allegations.

Solar scam pertains to cheating of several persons worth crores of rupees by Saritha and her co-accused Biju Radhakrishnan by offering solar panel solutions. They allegedly canvassed business by using high-level names including that of Chandy.

While Saritha was granted bail after remaining behind bars for nearly nine months, Biju Radhakrishnan is still in jail.

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News Network
June 15,2020

Palghar, Jun 15: A 22-year-old man who got married three days ago tested positive for novel coronavirus on Monday leading to the bride and 63 others who attended the function being quarantined in Palghar district in Maharashtra, an official said.

Jawhar Tehsildar Santosh Shinde said the man is a laboratory assistant.

"He got tested before marriage and the report had returned negative. However, his samples tested positive after marriage. The bride and 63 others who attended the ceremony have been quarantined," he said.

Palghar currently has 1,911 COVID-19 cases and 61 people have died of the infection so far.

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March 27,2020

Mumbai, Mar 27: The RBI on Friday put on hold EMI payments on all term loans for three months and cut interest rate by steepest in more than 11 years as it joined the government effort to rescue a slowing economy that has now got caught in coronavirus whirlwind.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut repo to 4.4 per cent, the lowest in at least 15 years. Also, it reduced the cash reserve ratio maintained by the banks for the first time in over seven years. CRR for all banks was cut by 100 basis points to release Rs 1.37 lakh crore across banking system.

The reverse repo rate was cut by 90 bps to 4 per cent, creating an asymmetrical corridor.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das predicted a big global recession and said India will not be immune.

It all depends how India responds to the situation, he said.

Global slowdown could make things difficult for India too, despite some help from falling crude prices, Das said, adding food prices may soften even further on record crop production.

Aggregate demand may weaken and ease core inflation further, he noted.

The liquidity measures announced include auction of targeted long-term repo operation of 3 year tenor for total amount of Rs 1 lakh crore at floating rate and accommodation under Marginal Standing Facility to be increased from 2 per cent to 3 per cent of Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) with immediate effect till June 30.

Combined, these three measures will make available a total Rs 3,74,000 crore to the country's financial system.

After cutting policy rates five times in 2019, the RBI had been on a pause since December in view of high inflation.

The measures announced come a day after the government unveiled a Rs 1.7 lakh crore package of free foodgrains and cash doles to the poor to deal with the economic impact of the unprecedented 21-day nationwide lockdown.

While the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the RBI originally was slated to meet in the first week of April, it was advanced by a week to meet the challenge of coronavirus.

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Agencies
August 7,2020

New Delhi, Aug 7 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday slammed the Central government as India crossed the 20 lakh COVID-19 positive cases.

Taking to Twitter, the Congress leader reiterated his earlier tweet, sent out on July 17, which stated "The 10,00,000-mark has been crossed.

With the rapid spread of COVID-19, by August 10, more than 20,00,000 will be infected in the country. 

The government must take concrete, planned steps to stop the epidemic."
"20 lakh-mark has been crossed, Modi government is missing," the Congress leader tweeted today.

The Union Health Ministry has said active cases as a percentage of total cases have seen a significant drop from 34.17 per cent on July 24 to 30.31 per cent.

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