The stunning disclosures by the lawyer of Biju Radhakrishnan, the prime accused in the scam, has accentuated tension in the Congress camp, which is struggling to explain the turn of events.

The lawyer, Jacob Mathew, has claimed to be in possession of video footage showing Saritha Nair, co-accused in the scam, in a compromising position with a Union Minister of State from Kerala, a state Minister, a former state minister and a former IG of police. The lawyer said he would make the clippings public the moment Biju Radhakrishnan allows him to do so.

Saritha has, of course, denied having had any sexual relations with the ministers concerned. She has also decided to file a defamation suit against Biju’s lawyer. The latter, however, said he stood by his claim. Incidentally, Biju himself has admitted to be in possession of video clippings showing the sexual encounter between Saritha and the ministers.

The sordid episode has put the concerned ministers in particular and the Congress in general back on tenterhooks. If the claim of Biju’s lawyer is true and if he releases the video footage, it could result in the exit of the beleaguered Oommen Chandy Government. The Congress leaders realize this, and that explains the panic in the party camp.

Understandably, there is jubilation in the Opposition camp over the latest episode in the solar scam soap. Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan promptly demanded that the Chief Minister dismiss the ‘guilty’ minister and resign immediately.

The latest bombshell has come close on the heels of the Kerala High Court Vigilance Registrar’s report that Saritha had told Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM), Economic offences, that she was raped by many influential persons.

In his report to the HC, the Vigilance Registrar has flayed the ACJM for having failed to record Saritha’s statement, and recommended appropriate action against him. The ACJM also erred, the report added, in keeping Saritha’s lawyer from the process of recording her statement, the Registrar said.

VS said the series of incidents have proved his allegation that the Chief Minister was behind the sabotage of the case. State CPI(M) secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said the high-level conspiracy to sabotage the statement of Saritha had been proved beyond any shadow of doubt by the probe the High Court vigilance wing conducted..

The new revelations have given a big boost to the LDF’s campaign for the ouster of the Chief Minister. These disclosures also underline the Opposition’s demand for a judicial enquiry into the solar scam by a sitting judge.

The upshot of it all is that the solar scam, which had almost faded from people’s memory, has acquired a new lease of life to the dismay of the Congress and the UDF. Obviously, the last word on the episode has not been said. While the State is looking forward to the day the video footage would be released. The UDF Government is also waiting in dread for the D-day. (IPA Service)