Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, under intense criticism from the Left opposition over his staff members being in contact with a woman charged with several cheating cases, yesterday asked two of them to step down.
“I have received a preliminary report of the investigating officer. Based on that, I am removing two of my staff members, and further action would be based on the report of the probe, once investigation is completed,” Chandy said in the assembly yesterday.
Chandy’s personal assistant Teny Jopan — from whose mobile phone nearly 70 calls were made to the woman in a month’s time — and his gunman Salim Raj have been asked to step down till the probe is completed.
The Left had taken up the issue following the revelation by a TV channel a few days back of calls made to Saritha S Nair, a woman in police custody for involvement in several cheating cases.
The TV channel revealed that the woman had easy access to Jopan and others in Chandy’s office.
Nair, since 2000, is alleged to have been involved in mor than 13 cases of cheating. Her latest escapade was conducted under the name of Team Solar, a company believed to have cheated numerous people of crores of rupees on the promise of supplying solar panels and putting up windmill farms.
IANS
