JOIN USThe Congress top brass on Friday discussed the allegations against P J Kurien in connection with the 1996 Suryanelli serial-rape case, even as the party publicly defended the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman, citing the clean chit he had earlier got from the court.
The issue figured in a party’s “core group” meeting attended by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the latter’s residence at 7 RCR here on Friday.
“The fact of the matter is that he was examined judicially and those in the higher places thought in their collective wisdom that he was not in the scene. We have no right to question their wisdom and jurisprudence. I think we should leave it to that unless something comes out,” party spokesperson Renuka Choudhary told reporters at the All India Congress Committee headquarters.
She pointed out that legal process on the issue was still on, maintain that party had never protected anyone who was guilty in a case. “In the course of natural justice, you have to respect the fact. Do you want me to question judiciary? None of us can take position on this. None of us is aware what happened,” she, however, added.
When her reaction was sought on the allegations being levelled by victim’s family against Kurien, she said: “If there are such things (allegations of Kurien’s role in the serial-rape case), there is still legal process. We cannot jump the gun.”