Many rape cases have shaken India in the past, but the Walayar case stands out from it. Two minor girls lost their lives in the hands of evil monsters in the year 2017.
What happened back in 2017?
On January 13, 2017, the 13-year-old elder sister was found hanging on a rafter inside her one-room home by her younger sister, aged nine. The minor later informed the police that she had noticed two men leaving their house that day, with their faces covered. However, the cops twisted the case and registered it as unnatural death. Even though the parents of the minor, both construction labourers, had claimed that their daughter was murdered.
On March 4, two months later, the younger sibling was also found hanging on the same rafter. The family and tiny village went into utter shock witnessing the same. Soon after protests followed and the public demand led the police to act quickly and arrest five persons, including a juvenile. They were charged under stringent provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for rape and assisting suicide.
In the words of Victims family
The mother of the minor said that there is a strong influence from local politicians and police lapses in doing their duty. She alleged that police had twisted her statement in the complaints and made other unreal statements. She denied providing any secret report stating that her daughters have committed suicide to prevent repeated sexual assaults.
Judgement as of now in Walayar case
The September 30 Additional Sessions Judge Muralee Krishna S made a judgment by indicating that the prosecution could not produce any substantial evidence against the accused Pradeep Kumar, who lived near the victims’ family and was known to them.
On Friday, the First Additional Sessions Judge (Special POCSO Court) of Palakkad district acquitted three accused in the case – V Madhu, Shibu and M Madhu – citing that the prosecution was unable to prove their involvement in the case.
The Judges note stated that “I have no hesitation to hold that the prosecution has miserably failed to prove the alleged offences against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Furthermore, there was a contradiction found in two prosecution witnesses. Moreover, the statement by the forensic surgeon, who conducted the postmortem of the older girl, that the victim’s anal injuries might be due to piles infection turned in favour of the accused.
New development in the Walayar case
The widespread protest from local as well as national level both by political parties and citizens have made the Walayar case come into the limelight. There is a high demand from both opposition and the victim’s family for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The government took the first step by replacing N Rajesh, chairman of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Palakkad who had ironically appeared as a prosecutor earlier for one of the accused. The lawyer, who had appeared for accused Pradeep Kumar in the trial phase, was later appointed by the government as the CWC chairman. This drove in many questions about his interference in the case.
The opposition voiced out the same in the state Assembly, wherein they slammed the ruling party for how the police handled the case. Moreover, they pointed out the political affiliations of the accused and also the influence of the local politicians.
On the other side, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) will register a suo motu case in the sexual assault and deaths of the two minor sisters. They showed extreme displeasure in the way the Kerala government handled the case.
The NCPCR member Yashwant Jain flew to Kerala and accused cops along with the government for handling the case in such a poorly.
The parents of two minor sisters who allegedly ended their lives due to long-term physical abuse met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on this Thursday. During the meeting, the family demanded a CBI inquiry into the case, following the judgement of the POCSO court.
As the law, government, officers favour the accused who all are to be blamed? Unfortunately, in India life of the rape victims are for few day front cover after which we move ahead.
How many such minors will have to suffer for the law of the country to change? Is it just the government and law enforcement officers we have to complain? The upbringing of the boys in India has to be replaced. Parents need to teach them how to behave to a girl. Till these changes happen, we will have to witness such atrocities against our siblings. Yes, you read it right, while we chant the pledge India is my country, and all Indians are my brothers and sister–remember somewhere yet another sibling of yours is getting assaulted and murdered.
