In a fresh twist to the 17-year-old Suryanelli sex scandal, the lone convict in the case on Monday claimed Rajya Sabha deputy chairman PJ Kurien was involved in it, as alleged by the victim.

Dharmarajan, who is absconding after obtaining bail, told Mathrubhumi News channel Kurien was present at a guesthouse in central Kerala's Idukki district the day the girl was allegedly sexually assaulted there. 

"I took Kurien in my Ambassador car to the Kumali guesthouse (that day)," Dharmarajan said from an undisclosed location in Karnataka. Dharmarajan said then principal investigator in the case, former ADGP Siby Mathews, had pressured him not to name Kurien in the case.

Kurien termed Dharmarajan's claims "baseless", and Mathews wondered why he had not said such things in court.   

Meanwhile, the Congress distanced itself from spokesperson PC Chacko's remark that the party would formulate its stand on the demand for Kurien's removal before the budget session of Parliament.