Suryanelli: Kurien writes to Sonia

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien, who is facing protests in Kerala over the Suryanelli gangrape case, on Tuesday wrote to Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi and said the allegations levelled against him are political vendetta.

"Caught with allegations in the Suryanelli gangrape case, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson PJ Kurien has written to Congress President Sonia Gandhi. He has said that the allegations on him in the Suryanelli gangrape case are political vendetta," CNN-IBN reported.

"On Monday, one of the convicts in the case had claimed that he was actually involved in the case. The third convict in the case SS Dharmarajan made the revelation while speaking to a local television channel from an undisclosed location in Mysore," the national news channel said.

Kurien also wrote to Vice President Hamid Ansari on the issue, reports said.

The rape victim earlier said she was not forced by anyone to take Kurien's name in the case.

"I have been repeatedly telling the police from the beginning that PJ Kurien raped me in the Kumli Guest House. Nobody has forced me to take his name, neither any association nor any politician," she told NDTV.

Around 50 protesters demonstrated outside the Kerala Assembly on Monday demanding Kurien's resignation in connection to the Suryanelli gangrape case.

The police reportedly used water canons to disperse protesters when they attempted to break through the police barriers.

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has already rejected re-investigation into the case.

The victim in her letter on Jan 29 said Kurien along with other accused in the case had raped her in Kumily panchayat guest house in Kerala.

The Supreme Court had set aside order given by the Kerala High Court where it acquitted 35 accused in connection with the case.

The Suryanelli rape case is concerned with a 16-year-old girl who was raped by 42 men for 40 days in 1996 in the state.