AIDWA hails Supreme Court judgment in Suryanelli gangrape case

02 February, 2013

All India Democratic Women Association (AIDWA) hailed the verdict of the Supreme Court in Suryanelli gangrape case. Notably the apex court has overturned the Kerala High Court's order acquitting 35 accused in the case of 1996 in which a 16-year-old girl was sexually assaulted for over 40 days.

The apex court has asked the high court to take a re-look in the case along with asking the accused to apply for bail. The high court had acquitted all the accused on the ground that the victim was not an unwilling partner. AIDWA in a statement said that due to the partisan behavior of the United Democratic Front (UDF) government, out of the 40 accused only one was sentenced.

The victim was duped and sold by a friend, and was then taken to several places in Kerala and Tamil Nadu where she was repeatedly abused.

The UDF Govt. of the day did not prosecute the case seriously, perhaps because a prominent Congress leader was one of those named by the victim. When the LDF Govt. assumed power in 1996, it constituted a special court, the first of its kind, to try the case. In 2000, this trial court sentenced 34 of the accused to punishment ranging from 4 to 13 years in detention. However, the UDF came to power after this and the High Court not only acquitted all but one of them, also passed very objectionable comments about the victim and insisted that she had participated in consensual sex because she was 3 months over the age of 16,” said AIDWA in the statement.

The Left Democratic Front government had given the victim a government job but she and her family were continuously harassed because they filed an appeal in the Supreme Court. She was suspended from her job by the UDF Govt. in a vindictive act and re-instated only when the AIDWA unit and others raised a hue and cry. For 17 years, she and her family have been living a life of isolation and humiliation,” added AIDWA.

The Kerala State President of AIDWA, TN Seema, MP, visited Suryanelli after the SC decision and met the victim and her family, who expressed their appreciation of AIDWA’s efforts.

They (the victim and her parents) were assured that AIDWA would fight the case till justice was done and until the big fish among the accused, like Congress leader PJ Kurien, are convicted,” said AIDWA in its statement.