Suryanelli rape issue hots up, Cong refuses to comment on Kurien

The Congress on Wednesday refused official comment on the continued campaign in Kerala by the CPM against Rajya Sabha deputy chairman PJ Kurien in the 1996 Suryanelli gangrape case in which the Supreme Court had exonerated him, but party leaders rejected allegations as “politically motivated.”

The Congress on Wednesday refused official comment on the continued campaign in Kerala by the CPM against Rajya Sabha deputy chairman PJ Kurien in the 1996 Suryanelli gangrape case in which the Supreme Court had exonerated him, but party leaders rejected allegations as “politically motivated.”

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The opposition CPM-led LDF continued to disrupt the proceedings in the Kerala assembly, however, demanding a fresh probe into the matter.

In Delhi, CPM politburo member Sitaram Yechury said, “New charges have been levelled against him. He must come clean ... Not only propriety demands but we also hope that he too will realize that he should step down.”

However, the Kerala government rejected the demand on the ground that Kurien had been exonerated by two police investigations, one by a special team constituted by EK Nayanar, a CPM chief minister.

CM Ommen Chandy said as the case has been sealed by the Supreme Court, exonerating Kurien of all charges, a reinvestigation is not possible.

“Why didn’t the CPM government do anything then? He has been absolved of charges by both the HC and the SC,” asked a party general secretary.