Solar scam: Former Kerala official surrenders after HC rejects bail plea

Thiruvananthapuram/Kochi: Hours after his anticipatory bail plea was dismissed by Kerala High Court, suspended official A Firoz, accused in a cheating case registered in connection with the solar scam, surrendered at a police station in the capital city. Firoz, former director of the Information and Public Relations department, surrendered at the Medical College Police station and his arrested was recorded, police said. He would be produced before a court, sources said. Police had issued a look out notice for Firoz after he went missing when his anticipatory bail application was rejected by a local court on 2 July. He was suspended from the high government post after his alleged links with fraudsters Saritha Nair and Biju Radhakrishnan involved in solar panel scam surfaced. [caption id=“attachment_967329” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Image used for representational purposes. Reuters[/caption] The police case against Firoz was that he introduced Saritha and Biju to a builder in the city saying one of them was an offical of Asian Development Bank and from whom they duped Rs 40 lakh promising to arrange a contract with ADB. Perusing the case diary, the high court found investigating officials had gathered ‘incriminating materials’ against the accused, who had joined Biju and Saritha, who had allegedly defrauded and collected crores of rupees from people. The court held that no meaningful and effective steps had been taken to proceed against the petitioner after he was implicated as accused in the cheating case. Government stated that the petitioner is an accused in a crime involving grave offences by a report dated Nov 25, 2010. The court said it is ‘disturbing’ that no action had been taken on such a report. “Perhaps, but for registration of the solar case, nothing tangible would have followed in the investigation of the present crime also,” the judge held. The court had earlier asked the prosecution why Firoz had so far not been arrested, especially when he was undergoing treatment in a hospital after registration of the case. PTI