Sex scandal: Opposition walks out of Kerala assembly

[1]

The Kozhikode ice-cream parlour sex case which dates back to the early 1990s led to an opposition walkout on Thursday in the Kerala assembly.

The alleged sex racket involved an ice cream parlour in Kozhikode as its base. State Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty was said to be involved and his name continues to be dragged despite 18 courts, including the Supreme Court, giving him a clean chit.

The issue was raised Thursday by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) legislator K.K. Lathika.

She sought leave for an adjournment motion after media reports that the Kozhikode chief judicial magistrate court had sent back the reinvestigation report by investigating officer Radhakrishna Pillai into the suicide report of two girls in Kozhikode who are allegedly victims in the case.

"Two of the three college girls, who were depressed after becoming victims in the sex case, decided to take their lives. They jumped before a train in Kozhikode Oct 29, 1996," Lathika said.

"The security guard at a flat in Kozhikode where the girls were exploited was found dead in mysterious circumstances soon after the two girls committed suicide. All this was revealed by Rauf, a relative of Kunhalikutty, early this year," she pointed out.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy responded that it was rather sad and unfortunate that facts were being twisted for political mileage.

"Please remember the then chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan ordered a reinvestigation into these allegations when the state was getting ready for the assembly polls. The statement made by the opposition legislator that a court has sent back the investigation report is wrong. Pillai never investigated the case and neither did he submit a report nor did the court reject the report," Chandy said.

He told the assembly: "This is one case that has been raked up again and again to haunt people and this should not happen."

After leading the entire opposition in a walkout from the house, Leader of Opposition Achuthanandan later said he had no intention to malign anyone.

"This is a case where innocent girls were subject to brutal atrocity and I have no qualms to rake up such issues again and again. I did this because it was based on fresh revelations by Rauf."

Making a personal explanation in the house after the opposition walkout, Kunhalikutty said that it is most unfortunate that despite his being cleared by 18 courts he is still being haunted.

"We have waited all these years and I request you to wait a little more time when the actual truth will surface and all will know who were all behind this malicious smear campaign against me. There are a few political leaders besides a few media people behind this. Everything will be out very soon," he said.