Suryanelli rape case: Court rejects girl`s plea against Kurien

Idukki: In a relief to Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien, a local court on Saturday rejected a plea by the victim in the Suryanelli gang-rape case for a re-probe into the alleged involvement of the Congress leader, holding there was no new ground for a fresh investigation.

The victim had filed a petition for a fresh probe into Kurien`s alleged involvement in the light of the recent claim by Dharmarajan, one of the accused in the 1996 gang-rape case and the only person to be convicted. The First Class Judicial Magistrate at nearby Peerumade while rejecting the girl`s petition held there was no new ground for a re-investigation since the points raised in the plea had already been enquired into by police and no evidence found against Kurien. The petitioner sought a re-probe based on the recent claim by Dharmarajan, accused no. 3 in the case, that Kurien, who was a Union minister in 1996, had allegedly molested the girl at a guest house at Peerumade. Dharmarajan suddenly appeared last month on a Malayalam television channel after absconding for several years and levelled the charge against Kurien. He was later tracked down and arrested by Kerala police in Karnataka. The victim had recently lodged a complaint with police at Chingavanam in Kottayam seeking an inquiry into Kurien`s role on the basis of Dharmarajan`s allegation. The police, however, held that a case could be registered only after examining the legal grounds for taking such a course. The victim later moved the court. The Suryanelli case has been in focus again after the Supreme Court in January quashed the Kerala High Court order acquitting 35 accused in the case while sentencing Dharmarajan alone to five years imprisonment and ordered a retrial. After the apex court order, the girl pressed her charge against Kurien and sought a re-probe. PTI