Kochi:
The Kerala government today submitted an affidavit in the high court opposing a plea seeking further investigation against Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien in the Suryanelli rape case.
In its affidavit, the Congress-led UDF government said that Dharmarajan, the lone convict in the case, had last month retracted his statement before the Thodupuzha Sessions court and the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Mahila Sangam state committee, the women's wing of CPI, was not maintainable and liable to be dismissed.
The petition had been filed without the knowledge and consent of the victim, it was stated.
In a new twist to the case, Dharmarajan had withdrawn his claim that he had taken Mr Kurien in his car to a guest house in Kumily where the victim was lodged and said he was not familiar with him.
The government filed the affidavit on a direction by a division bench of the court in reply to the PIL seeking to conduct further investigation into the alleged involvement of Mr Kurien on the basis of recent revelations made by the victim.
The case relates to a 16-year-old girl from Suryanelli in Idukki district who was abducted in January 1996 and taken to various places and sexually exploited by at least 40 persons.
Mr Kurien, alleged to be an accused, was acquitted in the case but the victim had recently named him as one of those who assaulted her at the Kumily guest house on February 9, 1996.
Mr Kurien has maintained that he had been cleared of the charges by the Supreme Court.