Solar scam: order against ex Kerala CM set aside

A local court on Wednesday set aside an ex parte decree asking former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy and others to pay around Rs 1.60 crore along with interest, in the solar scam case.

The additional city civil court, on October 24, 2014, had asked Chandy and five others to pay Rs 1,60,85,700 with interest at 12%, in a cheating case filed by Bengaluru-based real estate consultant, M K Kuruvilla.

Judge N R Channakeshava observed that Chandy did not get an opportunity of hearing. Chandy, who appeared before the court on January 2, 2017, had filed an affidavit denying charges against him.

Chandy had contended that he was implicated in the case “unnecessarily and mischievously,” with a fraudulent intent to defame him and gain publicity. The Congress leader had also mentioned in the affidavit that he had no connection with five others in the case with whom Kuruvilla had business. He accused Kuruvilla of misleading the court obtaining the ex parte decree behind his back.