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The Kerala Assembly was adjourned today after the LDF Opposition disrupted proceedings to protest the Government’s refusal to suspend police personnel who allegedly roughed up two women MLAs during a march over the Suryanelli gang-rape case.
Furious Opposition members trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans after Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said the Government has ordered an oral probe under the Kerala Police Department Punishment and Appeal Rules.
Opposition leader and CPI-M veteran V. S. Achuthanandan, who raised the issue, said Radhakrishnan had assured the House last week that action would be taken against police personnel who ‘misbehaved’ with CPI MLAs Geeta Gopi and E. S. Bijimol.
The announcement of another probe was a ‘ploy’ to delay any action and Radhakrishnan was virtually insulting the House and the assurance he had given to Speaker G. Karthikeyan, he said.
With LDF members continuing their protest, Karthikeyan took up certain other Government business scheduled for the day and adjourned the House.
The incident occurred on Feb 6 when a group of pro-Left women activists staged a dharna before the Assembly Complex demanding reinvestigation against Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P. J. Kurien in the case in the wake of new revelations and two women MLAs joined the march.
The LDF had also opposed the decision of the UDF Government to order a judicial probe.
Radhakrishnan maintained the Government could not initiate action without following procedures. The MLAs had not given the names of the erring police personnel and video visuals had not shown anything warranting action against police officials.
The case relates to a girl from Suryanelli in Idukki district of Kerala being abducted in January 1996 and transported to various places and sexually exploited by different persons.
Kurien was acquitted in the case but the victim recently named him as one of those who allegedly assaulted her in 1996. She sent a letter to the Supreme Court last week, seeking a review of the Apex Court’s order quashing all charges against Kurien.
The Suryanelli case came into focus recently after the Supreme Court quashed the Kerala High Court order acquitting 35 accused in the case and ordered a retrial to be completed within six months.
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