Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Suryanelli rape case: Court issues notice to Kurien


The horrific Suryanelli sex case occurred in Kerala's Idukki district Jan 1996, when a 16-year-old was threatened, abducted and abused by a bus conductor. She was sexually assaulted for 45 days by 42 men.

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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Kerala court today issued a notice to Rajya Sabha speaker PJ Kurien and five others in connection with the Suryanelli gangrape case.

This comes in the backdrop of the Supreme Court setting aside the Kerala HC's acquittal of 35 people accused of raping a girl from Suryanelli village in Kerala's Idukki district in 1996.

Following the SC verdict, the girl demanded a fresh investigation against Kurien - which snowballed into a political controversy.

The apex court said the high court did not look at the evidence properly and directed that the case be re-judged again within six months.

Earlier, a lower court in Kerala on Saturday has rejected Suryanelli rape case survivor's plea against key accused Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien in the 1996 gangrape case.

The court said that there was no new evidence against Kurien. The verdict comes as a relief for Kurien as the Kerala High Court was yet to decide on a PIL seeking orders to make him accused in the 1996 rape case.

What is the Suryanelli sex case?

The horrific Suryanelli sex case occurred in Kerala's Idukki district Jan 1996, when a 16-year-old was threatened, abducted and abused by a bus conductor. She was sexually assaulted for 45 days by 42 men, and then threatened with dire consequences if she spoke of the incident, before being allowed to return home.

In repeated statements, the victim has claimed that PJ Kurien was among the men who abused her 17 years ago.

The Supreme Court Jan 31 ordered a retrial in the case, setting aside the acquittal in 2005 by the Kerala High Court of all but one of the 35 accused.

As the victim and her parents repeat that Kurien got away lightly, without being so much as named among the accused, thanks to his political clout, the Left has rushed to draw mileage from the accusations.

The tormented girl mustered the courage to talk of her experience, and the names of the high and mighty appeared as a special court named 35 accused and sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment.

On September 6, 2000, the trial special court convicted 36 people and sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment of varying terms. The Kerala High Court, however, acquitted all 35 convicts earlier and found only one of them person guilty of crimes related to the sex trade and sentenced him to five years jail term and a fine of Rs 50,000.

In 2005, however, the Kerala High Court acquitted all but one of those earlier named as accused. 

The victim's family and the state moved the Supreme Court in 2005 against the high court's verdict.

Source: http://in.news.yahoo.com/suryanelli-rape-case--court-issues-notice-to-kurien-101250552.html

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