The special court had severely criticised the investigating officer for adopting a "lethargic attitude" throughout the probe.
Kerala High Court. (Creative Commons)
The Kerala High Court on Thursday, 4 January, admitted an appeal filed by the state government challenging the acquittal of the accused in the Vandiperiyar child rape and murder case.
A division bench of Justices PB Suresh Kumar and Johnson John ordered the issuance of notice to the accused Arjun (24) and posted the matter for further hearing on 29 January.
In its appeal, the state government contended that the Fast Track Special Court at Kattappana in Idukki district had failed to appreciate the evidence produced by the prosecution.
A POCSO special court had on 14 December acquitted Arjun (24), in the case, saying the “prosecution failed to establish all the circumstances which are consistent with the guilt of the accused and inconsistent with his innocence.”
The special court had severely criticised the investigating officer for adopting a “lethargic attitude” throughout the probe.
The six-year-old girl was found hanging inside her house on 30 June 2021 when her parents were away at work on a nearby plantation.
The police had initially registered a case of unnatural death, but the autopsy report confirmed that the child was raped before being hanged.
It seems like he had raped her many times in the past. However, on 30 June, the child fell unconscious during his rape attempt and thinking that she was dead, he hanged her, the police said.
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