THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as Opposition Leader V.S. Achuthanandan has presented a list of 31 cases against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy before a court considering a defamation suit filed by the latter, the counsel for Mr. Chandy termed it as baseless and challenged Mr. Achuthanandan’s counsel to come up with evidence.
Mr. Achuthanandan’s lawyer has takenup the challenge. The 31 cases listed by VS included seven cases pertaining to the solar scam, the palmolein import case, Titanium waste treatment plant case, Pattoor land assignment case and even one pertaining to the recent row over the land reclamation nod for godman Santosh Madhavan. As many as 12 petitions involving Mr. Chandy, which were admitted by the Lok Ayukta, were also among the 31.
The second-additional sessions court here headed by judge A. Badharudeen that considered the case on Thursday witnessed heated arguments between Mr. Chandy’s advocate A. Santosh Kumar and advocate Mr. Cherinyoor Sasidharan Nair who led a panel of lawyers representing
Mr. Achuthanandan. The argument in the case will continue on Friday.
Mr. Chandy had filed a defamation suit against Mr. Achuthanandan on April 28 in view of the latter’s statement that Mr. Chandy faced 31 corruption cases and the entire cabinet faced 136 cases.
According to the affidavit filed by Mr. Achuthanandan on Thursday, 31 cases were pending against Mr. Chandy at various courts, vigilance and other statutory institutions. With 12 cases mentioned in the affidavit pertained to pending enquiries before the Lok Ayukta, counsel for Mr Chandy said that it could not be considered as a case. He also pointed out that the judicial probe into the solar scam could not be considered as a case against Mr. Chandy as he was only a witness in the case.
