Suryanelli case

Suryanelli is a village in Idukki district in the Indian state of Kerela.This is the infamous Suryanelli rape case.The victim, a minor , who was sixteen year old then,  was blackmailed into running away  by her alleged lover ,bus cleaner,Raju .She went  missing from girls hostel in Munnar on 16th Januray,1996.Her father filed a police complaint.She returned home  after forty days .Rather, she was returned after forty days of confinement & innumerable rapes by various people, including a lawyer ,who started the series of rapes on the minor.During the period of forty  days,she was transferred from place to place in Kerela & Tamil Nadu.She was sent back home after she became too sick to be raped !  Her private parts had been abused so much that at a  mere touch,blood would ooze out !

 P.J.Kurien ,the current honourable  Deputy Speaker of Rajya Sabha is   one of the rapists .The victim identified him from a photograph .She said that he had raped her at a guest house in Kumily.She filed  complaint against the rapists .Local  police discouraged  her, at the behest of the powerful people who had been named in the complaint.The LDF party won the 1996 elections .Her gang rape  was an election issue.A special court was constituted & it punished the 35 of the many accused. Kerela High Court reversed the judgement in 2005 & acquitted all except, Dharmarajan. A reading of the judgement shows that the accused were discharged without any punishment  on  flimsy grounds. Dharmarajan was punished with imprisonment for just   five years & fine of  Rs 5000/ only.The rape charge was said to be untrue as the victim had  crossed the age of consent ! The court just fell short of naming the victim ,a prostitute.Hence the accused were let off ! And yet ,the courts & even society, needs to be reminded that prostitutes have rights as well.

LDF government employed the victim as  a peon, in Kerela Sales Tax Department.When Congress returned to power,the victim was accused of financial irregularities  amounting to Rs 2,26,000/- & suspended.She was reinstated & transferred as activists alleged that all this accusation was, because, she had named powerful people, in the police complaint.

PJ.Kurien was named in   a seperate complaint by the victim. Kurien was exonerated due to lack of evidence in 2007 .He was defended by Arun Jaitley,of  BJP ,leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha.P.J Kurien is a close  friend & confidante of current Defence Minister,A. K.Antony.

The media highlighting of the Delhi bus gang rape case led many activists to campaign for justice in the Suryanelli case. The Supreme Court heard the case on 31st Januaay ,2013.It was shocked, to learn about the acquittal & the remarks about the victim.The case was sent back to Kerela High court for a fresh hearing.

Dharmarajan was arrested in 2013.Victim filed fresh complaint against Kurien in 2013. Kerela High Court in April,2014 awarded punishment to 24 accused who were held guilty of gang rape.P.J Kurien  is at large, as  the present Deputy Speaker,Rajya Sabha.

This case shows how courts of justice, can cast aspersions on victims especially,  on the character.Character assassination of the victim is mandatory if victim is of female gender so what , if she is a minor Never mind, the character of the accused .Maybe like others ,the courts thinks  (rightly for once  &amp or    by default ) that the accused have no character...hence no character that needs defence,offence or assassination  !

This case  shows how all our netas are hand in gloves with each other ( Arun Jaitley defends P.J. Kurien ).How all parties will  field  candidates  with criminal records ( accused & set free ...not yet proved guilty ) .Such candidates can silence the voters into submission.Who needs rigging then ? !

This blog post is to raise awareness, about minors,who have been sexually abused #CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE.

This is my blog post for letter "S " in A to Z Blogging Challenge.

Sharing blog posts of fellow bloggers :

Sfurti Sinha

Shinjini Mehrotra