By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : The Kerala assembly witnessed chaotic scenes Tuesday over state Health Minister P.K. Sreemathi’s alleged involvement in a rape and murder case in 2004.
Gang rape victim Shari, a teenager, had died in mysterious circumstances in a private hospital in Kottayam in 2004. Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, then the leader of the opposition, had claimed that the health of the girl deteriorated after a VIP visited her.
The case resurfaced earlier this month, when the parents of Shari visited Achuthanandan and gave in writing that the VIP was none other than Sreemathi.
Soon after the question hour Tuesday, the opposition protested when speaker K. Radhakrishnan refused to allow an adjournment motion or even a submission on the statement made by Achuthanandan then, that if he was voted to power, he would track down the VIP who was responsible for the girl’s death.
The entire opposition accused the speaker of shielding the government and trooped into the well of the house.
“This is totally unfair, because we wish to know from Achuthanandan why he is fearing to make a statement on the VIP issue. The whole VIP business was raked up by Achuthanandan himself and now he is running away,” opposition leader Oomen Chandy said on the floor of the house.
Later speaking to reporters, Chandy said that the opposition will meet Radhakrishnan and express their strong protest in that how even the speaker was unfair to the opposition.
“Our future protests would depend on what the speaker does on this issue,” he said.
In another development Tuesday, the Ettumanor first class magistrate in Kottayam accepted a petition to prosecute Sreemathi in the rape case and ordered a police investigation. The petition was filed on behalf of the Action Council of the Killiroor-Kaviyoor cases, a body formed in 2004 to bring justice to Shari.