Suryanelli victim wants Kurien tried

In a letter to her SC counsel, the victim says P.J. Kurien has also raped her

Just as the High Court prepares to hear the Suryanelli sex case all over again as directed by the Supreme Court, the victim has written to her counsel at Supreme Court to explore the possibilities of arraigning P.J. Kurien, Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha, too as accused.

In the letter written to the counsel appearing for her in a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court on January 29, the girl said that “during 1996, while I was kept as captive in the Kumily Panchayath Guest House by the accused in the case, one day Mr. P.J. Kurian, former Union Minister and the present Deputy Chairperson of the upper house of Parliament, has also came there and has raped me along with the other accused.”

In response, Mr. Kurien told

the Hindu that the victim of Suryanelli sex scandal was repeating the same old allegation, which was investigated by four teams and tried and cleared at High Court and Supreme Court. There is nothing new in this.

He said he was at a loss how could there be another investigation just because the girl repeated the allegation. “Investigations were done during tenure of both UDF and LDF governments and the High Court has tried the case in detail. What else remains to be said about this?”

The girl goes on to say that “during the course of the investigation of the case I have stated that fact to every investigating officer, who has questioned me. But after completion of the investigation, they did not filed (sic) a charge sheet against Mr. Kurian and the prosecution has not tried him for the offence committed by him against me.”

The girl wrote to the counsel that she had lodged a private complaint against Mr. Kurien under section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (for rape) before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court, Peermade, where her statement was recorded and summons issued against Mr. Kurian. However, he moved the High Court to quash the proceeding, which was dismissed. However, the Supreme Court admitted his petition and quashed all the further proceedings.

She said that “as far as the proceedings before the Honourable Supreme Court, I was neither summoned nor provided an opportunity to present my case. I am having a bonafide belief that the police officials have tried to save Mr. Kurian due to the undue influence exercised over them.”

When contacted Sibi Mathews, who led the special investigation team, told The Hindu that all the movements of Mr. Kurian, who was the Union Minister at the time of crime, was properly documented. Cars were taken on rent by the Department of Tourism and then there were details of policemen drawn from Armed Reserve camps or local police as escorts to the official tour of Mr. Kurien then.