IN 2006 CPM state Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan embarked on a ‘Kerala Yatra’ to catapult him to the Chief Minister’s chair in May 2006 Assembly polls. But the Rs.376 crore SNC- LAVLIN scam involving him and public outrage against his denying assembly ticket to VS Achuthanandan, sent him to the back burner and his beta-noire VS became the CM.
Similarly, Congress Opposition Leader and Chief Minister hopeful Oomen Chandy has embarked on a ‘Kerala Mochana Yatra’. But same as the fate of Pinarayi, the 15-year old ghost of the Kozhikode Ice-cream parlour sex scandal has cropped up, giving sleepless nights to Muslim League secretary PK Kunhalikutty and road blocks to Congress led UDF’s dream of victory in May 2011. The Kerala Mochana Yatra has become an Ice-cream Racket Yatra for Oomen Chandy and Kunhalikutty.
In 1996, Sreedevi, a woman running an ice-cream parlour was arrested in Kozhikode for running a sex-racket. Customs officials, police officers, politicians including two former CPI/CPM Mayors of Kozhikode figured in the charge sheet and FIR as customers. Although Muslim League strong man PK Kunhalikutty’s (PKK) name figured in the original charge- sheet, later it was not there when the case finally went to courts. But in 2005, Regina, one of the victims of the sex-racket disclosed that she was abused and raped by PK Kunhalikutty in a hotel and residence in Thiruvananthapuram along with two other persons. She later retracted her statement. Public- Interest Litigations (PIL) for including PK Kunhalikutty in the list of accused and demand for CBI probe were turned down by Kerala High Courts repeatedly and by Supreme Court. PK Kunhalikutty name was not in the final list of accused and ironically in 2006 the District Court let off, all the accused, for want of evidence. The infamous Kozhikode Ice-cream sex scandal in which both CPM and League leaders were involved was, everyone thought, given a burial in 2006!
10 days back, KA Rauf, a close relative of PK Kunhalikutty disclosed at a press conference that on instructions from PK Kunhalikutty, he had given crores to Regina (raped girl), police officials, judiciary and other accused girls and witnesses to sink the case and remove PK Kunhalikutty’s name from the list of accused. He also disclosed that himself and PK Kunhalikutty were behind the moves to implicate Muslim League leader and chairman of India Vision Channel MK Muneer in a vigilance case and in a scandal involving a woman in Chennai since PK Kunhalikutty felt that Muneer was a future threat to him. Rauf also disclosed that PK Kunhalikutty has amassed immense wealth and has huge investments in the gulf.
Many parties including BJP, CPM, CPI. said apart from re-opening the sex-scandal case, cases should be registered against PK Kunhalikutty for breach of ‘Oath of office and secrecy’ which is violative of the Constitution since he himself has disclosed, that he has gone out of way to help an anti-national Rauf.
In the meantime Muneer’s India Vision aired disclosures of then Additional Director General of prosecution KC Peter that huge sums of money were handed over to Justice K Narayana Kurup and Justice Thankappan for dismissing PIL for inclusion of PK Kunhalikutty’s name in the list of accused and CBI probe demand.
Close on the heels of disclosures against ex-CJI KG Balakrishnan, the revelations that judges received huge cash to sink the sex-scandal case against PK Kunhalikutty, has shocked the people of Kerala and its belief on a free and fair judiciary.
Chief Minister, VS Achutha-nandan who is emerging stronger in the CPM, is moving for re-opening the sex-scandal case based on the latest revelations. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) under no-nonsense ADGP Vinson M Paul has been constituted. FIR has been filed in Kozhikode against PK Kunhalikutty and Rauf for conspiracy, forgery and influencing judicial/executive process. In Thiruvananthapuram, police have registered case against PK Kunhalikutty on charges of procuration of minor girl, rape, conspiracy, destruction of evidence, under various sections of IPC.
A subdued PK Kunhalikutty has also withdrawn his comments against his beta noire, fellow leaguer and India Vision chairman MK Muneer, since he needs the support of the entire Muslim League in the coming days.
Chief Minister struck another nail on Pinarayi loyalist P Sasi’s coffin by making sarcastic comments on his sexual escapades and his role in saving PK Kunhalikutty. Sasi has since forwarded letter to Pinarayi asking him to be relieved of all party work.
TP Nanda Kumar, the Editor of Crime Magazine who followed up this case, has asked for a probe into the role of P Sasi in saving PK Kunhalikutty.
This ghost of ice-cream has given a shot in the arm of Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan who is strongly batting for a second innings. He has hit two mangoes in a single shot. He has sent shivers to the Congress-Muslim League which were confident of power in 2011 and cornered Pinarayi Vijayan, who cannot utter a single word because of P Sasi’s link with PK Kunhalikutty.
The UDF’s ride to power will not be that, rosy since Oomen Chandy’s Yatra is stuck in ice-cream!
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