Thiruvananthapuram: Saritha Nair, one of the prime accused in the solar panel scam in Kerala, on Monday deposed before a judicial commission, and said she was "used physically and mentally" by many politicians.
Nair, at the centre of one of Kerala's most controversial corruption scandal, also handed over three CDs and documents to prove her allegations.
Nair has alleged that she paid Rs 1.9 crore in two instalments which, she claimed, was part of the Rs.7 crore bribe demanded by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. She also said Power Minister Aryadan Mohammed was given Rs40 lakh as bribe.
Chandy and Mohammed have both denied the allegations.
Following are some of the facts related to her -
Nair started out as as a sharebroker in a small town and today has been charged along with her live-in partner Biju Radhakrishnan with swindling businessmen with the promise of solar panels at cheaper rates.
As per reports, the couple supposedly took names of big politicians to land contracts and that included Chandy.
As per a report in NDTV, Saritha was a school topper in Chengannur town and was still a teenager when her father, a clerk, died.
The family were struggling financially and Saritha was married at 18 to someone who was working in the Gulf from whom she had two children.
Later she joined a share brokerage firm and then started working with the Kerala Housing Finance Limited.
This is where she reportedly met Biju Radhakrishnan.
Radhakrishnan was married at that time.
In due course they were both accused of siphoning money invested by clients.
After Radhakrishnan's wife died in 2006, he and Saritha started a new life in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
Saritha became Nandini Nair, the chartered accountant and Biju posed as a strategic investor and also as an IAS officer.
They, as per the website, set up multiple bogus companies.
These companies promised loans at cheaper rates.
They also invited investors for fake projects.
'Team Solar' was set up in 2011.
The couple changed their names to Lakshmi Nair and Dr RB Nair and first contacted Chandy's personal staff to make a donation for a relief fund on behalf of Team Solar.
They used information extracted from CM's office to impress clients and gain access to several politicians.
It is said that Saritha and Biju allegedly made six crores by fooling businessmen and were arrested twice.
They got bail and were again arrested in 2013 on charges of cheating numerous investors, who paid money for solar panels.
Meanwhile, Biju was arrested for his wife's murder and is currently serving a life term.
Over 30 cases of cheating against the two have been registered in various courts.
Police estimate that they cheated investors to the tune of over Rs.6 crore.
(With Agency inputs)
