Court orders FIR against Chandy, Aryadan

THRISSUR: In a major embarrassment to the UDF government in the state, vigilance court Thursday ordered registration of an FIR against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Power Minister Arayadan Mohammed in the solar scam even as the CPI-M led LDF demanded their immediate resignation.

Putting up a brave face, Chandy denied the charges levelled against him and said "he cannot be removed from the post by raising false allegations and disgracing him."

The chief minister asserted that he would resign and withdraw from public life if the allegations were proved right, hours after Inquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance), Thrissur, directed the vigilance to register an FIR against Chandy and Arayadan in the case.

Rattling the government, prime accused, Saritha S Nair had yesterday targeted Chandy and Arayadan while deposing before the Justice Sivarajan Commission in Kochi, probing the case, and had alleged that she had paid bribes to the tune of Rs 1.90 crore to a close aide of the chief minister and Rs 40 lakh to the power minister. The two ministers have denied the allegations.

The court passed the order on a private complaint by one P D Joseph, seeking a vigilance probe on the claims by Saritha that she had paid bribes for getting favourable decisions to 'Team Solar Company.'

Babu had resigned hours after vigilance had filed an FIR against him in the bar bribery case on January 23, while Mani was forced to quit after the High Court made some stinging observations.

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