CBI highlighted a complex family background, instances of sexual abuse, and lack of proper care, suggesting these factors might have driven the girls to die by suicide. Meanwhile, when South First reached out to Sunitha, the ward member of Ward 11 in Walayar, where the victim's family resides, she took a stand against the CBI findings.
Published Feb 09, 2025 | 12:30 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 09, 2025 | 12:30 PM
Three girls attempt suicide at government-run Sree Chitra poor home in ThiruvananthapuramRepresentational Image. (iStock)
The CBI has reiterated its stance that the deaths of two young sisters in Walayar of Kerala’s Palakkad district in 2017 may be cases of death by suicide, despite the Palakkad judicial court earlier rejecting this theory.
In its chargesheet submitted to the CBI court in Kochi, the agency ruled out the possibility that the girls were hanged after being murdered, citing forensic medical records.
However, the CBI also highlighted a complex family background, instances of sexual abuse, and lack of proper care, suggesting these factors might have driven the children to die by suicide.
Meanwhile, when South First reached out to Sunitha, the ward member of Ward 11 in Walayar, where the victim’s family resides, she took a stand against the CBI findings.
“The actual culprit in this case has not even been named as an accused. He is still active in the CPI(M). I don’t trust the CBI’s findings because I personally know the family. None of the investigative agencies’ conclusions have pointed to the real culprit. Everyone in this locality knows the truth, except the investigation agencies,” she said.
The CBI has also approached the Juvenile Justice Court seeking to transfer the trial of the minor accused to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) court and subsequently to the CBI Court in Kochi.
At the time of the incident, the case against the accused, who was a minor, was being heard at the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, which also functions as the Juvenile Justice Court in Palakkad.
In its petition, the CBI argues that the accused should be treated as an adult, as they have now attained adulthood.
The final decision on the matter rests with the Juvenile Justice Board.
On 9 January, the CBI named the parents of the deceased sisters as accused for charges of abetment to rape, for not reporting the abuse to the police on time.
The CBI took over the case following a Kerala High Court order, citing administrative difficulties and delays in justice delivery.
In 2017, two sisters, aged 13 and nine, were found dead in their home in Walayar, hanging in the same manner, with the older girl’s body being discovered on 7 January and the younger sister’s on 4 March.
On 6 March, police formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and began an inquiry into the deaths. On 12 March, the post-mortem report revealed that the girls had been victims of sexual abuse.
However, the police submitted their chargesheet on 22 June 2019, which said that the girls had taken their own lives due to prolonged mental and physical abuse.
Initially, five individuals were accused in the case, but two passed away, leaving three facing charges, including one minor at the time of the incident.
Despite the evidence, the prosecution failed to secure convictions, leading to widespread outrage and protests in 2019.
The Kerala High Court intervened, quashing the acquittal verdict and ordering a reinvestigation by the CBI in 2022. However, the POCSO court rejected the first CBI team’s chargesheet, citing it as a mere replica of the initial police findings.
Then in August 2024, the Kerala High Court ordered the transfer of the Walayar case to the CBI-designated court in Ernakulam from the Palakkad POCSO Court.
This decision came after the CBI petitioned for the transfer, citing potential administrative hardships and delays in justice delivery if the trial proceeded at the POCSO court. The high court had ordered a retrial due to “serious lapses” in the investigation.
After being named in the charge sheet, the mother of the deceased girls stated, “This is a dramatic turn, and we have lost faith in the CBI investigation. If we knew our daughter was sexually abused, do you think we would remain silent? It seems the CBI is also trying to protect the culprits. We will continue our fight until we get justice. We want to emphasise once again that we, as parents, are still ready for the polygraph test.”
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
