Kerala sex case convict claims he took Congress leader to rape house

Thiruvananthapuram: The infamous Suryanelli sex case, in which a 16-year-old school girl was abused by more than 40 men in 1996 for over a month, snowballed on Monday as a convict in the case, SS Dharmarajan, gave a new revelation.

Dharmarajan told a local television channel that he had taken Congress leader and deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, PJ Kurien, to the Kumily guest house in 1996 while the girl was kept there.

Dharamarajan had jumped parole and had been in Karantaka until he made the claim on Monday, thereby adding a fresh twist to the case.

Over the weekend, the controversy regarding the Suryanelli case had flared up when justice R Basant was caught on hidden camera by a television channel saying that the girl in the case had been “deviant” and that the entire case had been more of child prostitution than rape.

Dharmarajan said on Monday that he had been asked not to reveal Kurien’s name by the investigating official Siby Mathews. Mathews, however, denied the allegation.

Mathews said Dharmarajan was trying to create confusion, pointing out that the court had taken the statement of Dharmarajan and at that time he had not made such a claim. Kurien also denied Dharmarajan’s allegation.

Dharamarajan’s claim is likely to put more pressure on the Congress party as it readies to take a decision on his continuance as Rajya Sabha deputy chairman, with the Parliament session round the corner.

Kurien received support from defence minister AK Antony, and another federal minister from Kerala, Vayalar Ravi, but he will need the backing of the party high command to ensure that he keeps his Rajya Sabha position.

The Suryanelli case victim’s mother had written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi regarding the matter, pointing out that her daughter was about the same age as the Congress president’s daughter.