Bar bribery: Gave Rs 2cr to Chennithala, says Biju

In her deposition before the Justice Sivarajan commission probing the solar scam, prime accused Saritha S Nair on Monday alleged that it was at the insistence of a senior Congress leader close to Chandy that she had filed a sexual harassment case against party MLA A P Abdullakutty.

Whistle-blower bar owner Biju Ramesh on Monday opened a new can of worms in Kerala, alleging that Rs. 2 crore was paid to then state Congress president Ramesh Chennithala and Rs. 25 lakh to Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar as bribes. Meantime, there is no receipt or proofs to prove it, he said.

Ramesh alleged Rs 25 lakh was handed over to a personal secretary of Sivakumar at his residence, while Rs 2 crore was directly handed over to Chennithala before the Neyyatinkara assembly by-election held in early 2012.

It was minister’s personal staff Vasu who accepted the money on behalf of the minister at his house, he claimed. “The KPCC office accepts donations by issuing a receipt”, he said.

Refuting Ramesh’s allegation, Chennithala, who is now the home minister, said that every time money is received as party fund, it is not only accounted but also audited. All political parties, including the Congress, function by accepting contributions from the public.

Meanwhile, CPI leader and former state minister C Divakaran said the present allegations were more severe than the ones made earlier by Ramesh.

Sivakumar also denied it, saying he deals with health issues and not with bars.

Babu, too, tendered his resignation to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy after a Vigilance court ordered filing of an FIR and conduct of a probe.

Babu’s return to the cabinet was imminent after the High Court stayed the vigilance court order and ruling Congress-led UDF decided there was no need for him to resign.