Half-price scam case: Ex-Kerala High Court judge justice C N Ramachandran Nair named as accused

Thiruvananthapuram: A former judge of the Kerala High Court has been made an accused in the half-price scam that has rocked Kerala.

Former judge justice C N Ramachandran Nair was arraigned as the third accused in a case registered at the Perinthalmanna police station in Malappuram district.

He was a patron of the National NGO confederation formed by the key accused Ananthu Krishnan, who is the second accused. Sri Sathya Sai Orphanage Trust executive director K N Ananda Kumar, who was the chairman of the confederation, was arraigned as the first accused.

According to the Perinthalmanna police, a local native Danny Mon, who was heading a local forum, alleged in the petition that the confederation cheated many persons of an organisation headed by him by offering two-wheelers and gadgets like laptops and sewing machines at half price and were cheated. Sections 318(4) and 3(5) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating and crime with common intention were invoked against the accused in the case registered on February 6.

The former judge said that other day that he got associated with the confederation after being misled by Sri Sathya Sai Orphanage Trust executive director Ananda Kumar

The key accused Ananthu Krishnan, hailing from Idukki, had told reporters that many politicians took money from him. Krishnan, who is now in police custody, was learnt to have given incriminating statements against many politicians in connection with the scam.

A case was earlier filed against Indian Union Muslim League MLA Najeeb Kanthapuram at the same police station in connection with the half price scam. A NGO headed by BJP state leader A N Radhakrishan is also involved in it.

Thousands of persons were suspected to be cheated by offering two wheelers and home appliances at half-prices through various NGOs associated with the confederation formed  by Krishnan. The people were made to believe that CRS funds from major companies and central government funds will be sourced to subsidise the two-wheelers and gadgets. But the police's preliminary finding was that the confederation did not receive  any CSR funds and it was acting like a money chain model. Many people had received two-wheelers and other gadgets at half price through some of the NGOs.