Former aide to the late Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Tenny Joppen, on Wednesday, 15 July declared that he had been used as a scapegoat to target Chandy in the politically charged Kerala solar scam — hours after the Kerala High Court permitted his deletion from the list of accused in one of the cases linked to the controversy.

What the Court Ordered

The Kerala High Court allowed Joppen to be removed from the array of accused in the case filed by businessman Mallely Sreedharan Nair. The complainant informed the court that he no longer wished to pursue the case against Joppen and that the dispute had been settled outside court. Notably, the trial had not yet commenced at the time of the order.

What Joppen Said

Reacting to the court's order, Joppen said the outcome vindicated his long-held position that he had been unnecessarily implicated. 'I was made a scapegoat to target Oommen Chandy. I have nothing against those who worked against me. Let them be happy. I will not name anyone, because all of you in the media know who they are,' he said.

Joppen also recalled what he described as an ordeal during the investigation. He alleged that he was needlessly slapped by then senior police officer A. Hemachandran when he appeared for questioning, despite no case having been registered against him at that stage. Hemachandran, who later retired as Director General of Police, is currently serving as Special Advisor to Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala.

Joppen's Role in the Solar Scam Case

Joppen had served as Personal Assistant to the late Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and was the third accused in the case. He was arraigned on the basis of Sreedharan Nair's statement alleging that he had pressured the complainant to hand over money to prime accused Saritha S. Nair.

His arrest had carried particular political weight as he was the only person directly associated with Chandy's office to be arrested in connection with the scam. More significantly, his arrest occurred on the same day Chandy was receiving a UN award in Bahrain.

Background: The Kerala Solar Scam

The Kerala solar scam, which surfaced in 2013, centred on allegations that Saritha S. Nair and Biju Radhakrishnan cheated investors by promising lucrative solar energy projects while allegedly leveraging fabricated political connections. The scandal grew into one of Kerala's most politically contentious controversies, with allegations levelled against several senior leaders, including then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

In 2022, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) closed the sexual assault allegations linked to the controversy, granting Chandy and the other accused a clean chit. The CPI-M-led Left had deployed the scam extensively in its election campaigns in 2016 and 2021.

Significance of the High Court's Order

The High Court's latest order marks another milestone in the long-running solar scam litigation. With the complainant withdrawing interest in pursuing the case and the trial yet to begin, the legal chapter for Joppen appears effectively closed. The development adds to a series of proceedings that have gradually wound down the criminal dimensions of the controversy, even as its political legacy continues to shape Kerala's public discourse.