Solar case: 'Allegations against Asianet News are baseless'

Kochi: The controversial middleman T G Nandakumar has denied allegations that he received money from Asianet News for handing over an alleged sexual harassment survivor's letter to the latter. To note, the sexual harassment case is linked to the much-talked-about solar scam case in Kerala.

Nandakumar clarified that the letter was given to Asianet News without paying a single rupee. He revealed that he paid Rs 1.25 lakh to the survivor to obtain the letter. However, he gave the letter to Asianet News without paying even a single penny as it is the number one news channel in Kerala. He also stated that reporter Joshi Kurien released the letter only after meeting the survivor.

From 2011 to 2016, the Oommen Chandy government conducted two CBI probes against Nandakumar. However, both the cases were closed by the CBI. 

"Two UDF home ministers wanted the letter to be made public and cause mayhem. The Congress lost the elections as a result of this. Rs. 1.25 lakh was paid to the complainant. As Oommen Chandy's name was mentioned in the letter, I believed it was necessary to publish it. In two CBI cases, he treated me unfairly," claimed Nandakumar.

Nandakumar said that LDF leader V S Achuthanandan asked him to investigate the letter written against Oommen Chandy by the complainant in the solar case. Following this former Kerala Congress (B) leader Sharanya Manoj was contacted over the phone and he came to Ernakulam and handed over some letters, including a 25-page letter in the name of Oommen Chandy, which he said was written by the survivor.

"VS requested that I obtain the letter. That is how Sharanya Manoj entered the picture. I received the letter from Manoj. No media representative paid me anything for the letter. However, the complainant received Rs. 1.25 lakh. By offering to cover the cost of her mother's treatment, people like Benny Behanan and Thampanoor Ravi, among others, made her suffer. Only after this did the complainant receive the money. When I saw Pinarayi, I informed him of the letter's contents and gave it to VS to read," recalled Nandakumar.

In 2016, when Pinarayi Vijayan became the Chief Minister, the survivor filed a complaint against Oommen Chandy. TG Nandakumar clarified that Pinarayi Vijayan has not chided him to leave his room. "At Kerala House, I wrongly rang the bell of Pinarayi's room thinking it was VS'. Pinarayi then came out and asked me what was I doing. That is all that happened," he said.
 

• T G Nandakumar
• solar case letter