P. J. Kurien

P. J. Kurien Biography

P. J. Kurien is a politician from Kerala belonging to Indian National Congress. One of the prominent and senior leaders from Kerala he currently serves as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha since 21 August 2012. He is also known as a social worker, teacher and educationist. A parliamentarian, he got elected to Lok Sabha for the first time in the year 1980 and since then he is fully active in the political affair. He has been elected to Lok sabha consecutively for 6 terms since 1980. Kurien was alleged to be an accused in the infamous Suryanelli rape case 1996, which still creates great waves across Kerala. It was one of the all-time sensational sexual assault cases of Kerala.

Kurien was born in the year 1941 in Vennikulam in Tiruvalla, Pathanamthitta District of Travancore Kingdom then. P. G. Joseph and Rachel Joseph were his parents. His schooling was done at St. Behanas High School, Vennikulam and higher education at St. Thomas College, Kozhencherry, followed by Government Science College, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh. After his post-graduation he started his professional career as a lecturer and was serving as a professor of Physics at St. Thomas College, Kozhencherry when he entered active politics.

He got elected to Lok Sabha for the first time in 1980, followed by 1984, 1989, 1991, 1996 and 1998 consecutively for 5 terms. Currently he serves as Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha (Upper house of Parliament) since 2012. He was one among the prime accused of infamous Suryanelli rape case, a case of kidnapping and subsequent rape of a 16-year-old school girl from Suryanelli. Among the 42 accused people, Kurien’s name was also included and the issue was greatly politicized as it was time of general elections. Many social activists like K. Ajitha and Suja Susan George, and also women's organisations took great interest in the case. This stirred a controversy and the case is still open.

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Updated: March 12, 2016