UDF did not mess with solar probe: Oommen Chandy

Kochi: Former chief minister Oommen Chandy on Monday reiterated before the solar judicial commission that   the previous UDF government had not interfered with the probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the solar cases.  During a cross-examination, Mr  Chandy submitted that the SIT was  given a free hand to conduct the investigation  in a fair and transparent manner. He submitted that the special investigation team had conducted an effective investigation  and filed chargesheets in most of the cases. The accused in the two solar cases had been convicted by the court.

Mr. Chandy denied the allegation that the SIT was  hurriedly formed.  “The SIT was  constituted following the assurance given in the Assembly. The government had never at any stage taken a decision to entrust the probe with the CBI. The then Opposition Leader V.S.Achuthanandan who had levelled many allegations inside the Assembly did not make any demand for a CBI probe," Mr Chandy said.   In fact, he was against a CBI probe because as  the Congress -led UPA government was at the centre, he thought the CBI would not probe the case effectively.