Senior IPS officer A Hemachandran wrote to the Kerala government noting that officers, who were part of the Special Investigation Team that probed the solar scam should not be made scapegoats.
Media reports suggest that Hemachandran gave the letter to the Kerala DGP Loknath Behera and Home Secretary Subrata Biswas expressing discontent over the Justice Sivarajan Commission report on the scam.
The solar scam was initially probed by the SIT headed by Hemachandran.
In the letter, Hemachandran stated that he is solely responsible for any lapses in the probe. “The officers in the team were selected based on their merit. Don’t make them scapegoats,” he wrote.
The letter reportedly stated that the investigation by the team led by him was completely right. “I had moved ahead with the investigation without considering anybody’s faces. The chargesheet in the case had been submitted in six months and the trial was also conducted,” Hemachandran wrote.
He also argued, “It is for the court to decide on the merits and demerits of the court. It is not proper to initiate action against officers in a case where trial is going on. No Commission has the right to susggest action against officers in such case,” the police officer said.
However, when TNM contacted Hemachandran, he said that he is not ready to comment. “Since I am not a part of the department now, it is not appropriate on my part to comment about it. If I say something that may be misinterpreted. I want to avoid that,” Hemachandran said.
In its report, the Justice Sivarajan Commission found that several police officers had helped politicians by not naming them as accused in the case. It had also observed that Hemachandran came under pressure from former Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan to hide the role of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and other Congress leaders in the scam.
Hemchadran, who was earlier DGP (Crime Branch) was transferred to Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and appointed as its Managing Director. This was part of the cabinet’s decision to take action against police officers whom the Commission indicted. ADGP Padmakumar was also shifted from the police department. The Pinarayi government also transferred other police officials, who were part of the SIT.
The LDF government has claimed that its action is based on the findings of the Commission. The government has even formed a new team headed by ADGP Rajesh Dewan to conduct a further probe into the case.
The government has also decided to register criminal cases against senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and some of his cabinet colleagues. The Congress, meanwhile, has been urging the government to make the report public.