Let the law take its course: Antony on Suryanelli gangrape

Kozhikode/Thrissur: Declining to be carried away by the clamour for removal of PJ Kurien as Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman facing charges over the Suryanelli gang rape case, Defence Minister and senior Congress leader AK Antony on Sunday said "let law take its own course".

Antony, however, said no evidence has been found during probes conducted during the tenure of both the UDF and LDF rule in Kerala against Kurien in the case of 1996. "The (state) government has received another complaint after the (recent) Supreme Court verdict in the case. Let the Government decide. If Government's decision is not acceptable (to the aggrieved party) the court can be approached again. Let the law take its own course," he told reporters in Kozhikode.

Striking a different note, Congress national spokesman P C Chacko said the party would discuss the "Kurien issue" and before the budget session of Parliament commences later this month. Prefacing that he is not a human computer to recall every aspect of the case, Antony said "When I got the complaint (as Chief Minister in 1996), I immediately referred it to the Crime Branch. After the investigation, 36 accused were convicted by the trial court. Kurien got discharged."

Since then UDF was in power in the state for seven years and LDF for 10 and no evidence could be found against Kurien by the investigations held twice during the term of the LDF government led by Nayanar, he said.

CPI(M) leader VS Achuthananandan was dissatisfied at the findings of the investigation by the Nayanar Government. But later, Achuthanandan himself became Chief Minister but did not do anything to pursue the matter, Antony added. Talking to reporters in Thrissur, Chacko said "We will be taking a decision on all issues, including this (Kurien issue), before the Parliament session begins (on February 21."

"The high command will not be closing its eyes to any issue coming before the party. We are alert to every issue agitating the society and our spokesman has already said the high command is seized of the matter and will discuss and take an appropriate decision," Chacko added. Meanwhile, Kurien said in Nedumbassery near Kochi that he had nothing more to add to what he had already said. He has been maintaining that he is innocent and the charge against him has been rejected by the Supreme Court.