The victim joined the Sales Tax Department as a Peon later on. On Feb 6 2012, the police arrested her in connection with an alleged financial irregularity worth Rs 2,26,000. She was suspended from her job at the sales tax department. After eight months, she was reinstated. The victim alleged that vested interests have set her up as her case was coming up for hearing in Supreme Court.
The furor created over the brutal rape of Damini, a 23 year old girl in Delhi, had its reverberations felt in Supreme Court as well.
on the January 3, the Chief Justice of India announced that the hearings on the Suryanelli rape case would begin within three weeks.
Kurien's name figured again in connection with the case after the victim wrote to her advocate on 29 January to explore the possibility of filing a review petition, seeking a fresh probe against him.
On Jan 31 of 2013, the SC set aside the Kerala High Court's order acquitting 35 accused in the Suryanelli rape case. A bench headed by Justice A.K. Patnaik sent the case back to the High Court for taking a fresh look at it.
Once the Supreme Court overruled the Kerala High Court judgment, the opposition parties started demanding the resignation of P J Kurien who is now the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
Reacting to charges against him, P J Kurien said that he was completely innocent, in the eyes of God and court too.
"Please note that I have been cleared by three different police investigation teams; besides the apex court exonerated me and the final discharge in the case following a private petition filed by the victim came from the Kerala High Court. In the eyes of god also I have done no wrong," Kurien said.
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has also indicated that the government had not totally ruled out the possibility of a further investigation into the alleged involvement of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson P J Kurien in the Suryanelli gangrape case.
“Who had said there would not be a further investigation? I have only said that an appropriate decision would be taken after getting the legal opinion. Let us wait for the legal opinion,” said Chandy after the CPI-M led LDF raised the temperature on the issue both inside and outside Assembly.
