Walayar rape case: Parents of victims named as accused in CBI chargesheet
The parents of two minor victims of rape in the 2017 Walayar case have been named as the accused in the chargesheet filed by the CBI. The chargesheet was filed on Thursday, January 9, at the Ernakulam CBI court. According to reports, the parents have been charged with abetment of rape and suicide. It was in 2017 that the two sisters were found dead inside their house in Walayar of Palakkad district, three months apart from each other. It was found later that they were sexually assaulted before their deaths. The CBI has reportedly stated that the parents failed to disclose the alleged sexual assault to the police in a timely manner. Apart from abetment of rape, the charges against the parents also include that of abetment of suicide and suppression of evidence in the case. Two minor Dalit girls aged 13 and 9, were found dead in their house on January 13 and March 4, 2017 respectively. An autopsy revealed that the sisters were sexually assaulted before their deaths. The initial chargesheet filed by the Kerala police stated that they died by suicide because of multiple instances of assault. Subsequently, five persons were booked by the police - Madhu alias Valiya Madhu, Madhu M alias Kutti Madhu, Shibu, Pradeep Kumar M and a 16-year-old boy. In their final report, four persons, except the minor, were listed as accused. In 2019, a special POCSO court acquitted all the four persons, stating that the prosecution’s case was weak. This led to multiple protests condemning the police. Following this, the state moved an appeal at the Kerala High Court seeking a re-investigation. Subsequently, the HC set aside the acquittal of the accused. Meanwhile, in November 2020, Pradeep Kumar died allegedly due to suicide. In 2021, the HC directed the CBI to take up the case, and the investigation was taken up by the Thiruvanathapuram unit of CBI, who filed two separate FIRs. In April 2024, the CBI approached the High Court seeking to transfer the case from the Palakkad special court to hear POCSO cases to the CBI Court in Ernakulam, which was granted. The initial CBI chargesheet stated that the accused were all close relatives of the girls and sexually abused and assaulted the girls for years, leading to their suicides. However, the mother opposed this chargesheet and told the court that the CBI did not look into a murder angle.Reading the judgment: How justice for Walayar sisters was let down by a shoddy probe
THE parents of two minor victims of rape in the 2017 Walayar case have been named as the accused in the chargesheet filed by the CBI. The chargesheet was filed on Thursday, January 9, at the Ernakulam CBI court.
According to reports, the parents have been charged with abetment of rape and suicide. It was in 2017 that the two sisters were found dead inside their house in Walayar of Palakkad district, three months apart from each other. It was found later that they were sexually assaulted before their deaths.
The CBI has reportedly stated that the parents failed to disclose the alleged sexual assault to the police in a timely manner. Apart from abetment of rape, the charges against the parents also include that of abetment of suicide and suppression of evidence in the case.
Two minor Dalit girls aged 13 and 9, were found dead in their house on January 13 and March 4, 2017 respectively.
An autopsy revealed that the sisters were sexually assaulted before their deaths. The initial chargesheet filed by the Kerala police stated that they died by suicide because of multiple instances of assault.
Subsequently, five persons were booked by the police - Madhu alias Valiya Madhu, Madhu M alias Kutti Madhu, Shibu, Pradeep Kumar M and a 16-year-old boy. In their final report, four persons, except the minor, were listed as accused.
In 2019, a special POCSO court acquitted all the four persons, stating that the prosecution’s case was weak. This led to multiple protests condemning the police. Following this, the state moved an appeal at the Kerala High Court seeking a re-investigation. Subsequently, the HC set aside the acquittal of the accused. Meanwhile, in November 2020, Pradeep Kumar died allegedly due to suicide.
In 2021, the HC directed the CBI to take up the case, and the investigation was taken up by the Thiruvanathapuram unit of CBI, who filed two separate FIRs.
In April 2024, the CBI approached the High Court seeking to transfer the case from the Palakkad special court to hear POCSO cases to the CBI Court in Ernakulam, which was granted.
The initial CBI chargesheet stated that the accused were all close relatives of the girls and sexually abused and assaulted the girls for years, leading to their suicides. However, the mother opposed this chargesheet and told the court that the CBI did not look into a murder angle.
