Court orders further probe in Walayar case

A POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) court here on Saturday sanctioned further investigation into the sensational Walayar case in which two minor sisters had been found hanging in their house in mysterious circumstances four years ago.

District Additional Sessions Judge S. Murali Krishna, who is also the district POCSO judge, permitted the special investigation team (SIT) to inquire again into the case. The SIT, formed by the government after the High Court quashed the POCSO court’s verdict acquitting all the accused in the case, had approached the trial court (POCSO court) seeking permission for further investigation.

In effect, it will be a re-investigation by the special investigation team led by Railway Police Superintendent R. Nishantini and Crime Branch Superintendent A.S. Raju.

The case had acquired sensational dimensions and widespread media attention when the POCSO court here exonerated all the accused following the failure of the prosecution and the investigators in providing scientific evidence.

The victims’ parents approached the High Court seeking a re-investigation and launched protests together with the Walayar Action Council seeking punitive action against the police officers who investigated the case.

Special investigation team members said they would go through the entire procedural formalities of investigation as part of the inquiry. They said they were hopeful of building a solid case.

Two of the accused, V. Madhu and N.T. Shibu, were remanded in judicial custody until February 5. Another accused, M. Madhu, was granted bail by the High Court. The third accused in the case, Pradeep, committed suicide a few weeks ago. The fifth accused in the case was a minor, who is being tried by the Juvenile Justice Board.

It was in 2017 that the siblings aged 13 and nine were found hanging in their house at Attappallam on different days. Although the police arrested five persons in connection with suspected rape and murder, the police and prosecution failed to prove them guilty of the charges levelled against them.