Five individuals were initially accused, but two died, leaving three, including a minor, facing charges. Despite evidence, the prosecution couldn't secure convictions, sparking widespread outrage and protests in 2019
Published Jan 09, 2025 | 4:48 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 09, 2025 | 4:48 PM
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In a surprising twist, the parents of the two young sisters who were allegedly raped and murdered in Walayar in 2017 have been named as accused in the CBI chargesheet, filed at the Ernakulam CBI Court on Thursday, 9 January.
They face 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 9, 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 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 Central Bureau of Investigation (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 CBI chargesheet is the latest development in a case that has seen several twists, including a retrial ordered by the High Court due to “serious lapses” in the investigation.
The mother of the deceased children 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 Ananya Rao with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
