Yuva Morcha Criticizes Police Over Investigation Into Rape, Suicide Case Of Two Minor Sisters In Kerala

Yuva Morcha state secretary Sandeep Warrier has alleged that the police did not take any serious investigation into the alleged rape and suicide case of two minor sisters in Kerala's Palakkad district, in which the accused were recently acquitted by a local court.

The youngest child, who died later, testified that she met strangers on the day the older girl committed suicide. She reported the matter to police officers. She later died and the police remained inactive, Warrier has alleged. He stated that the second child was the key witness in the first girl's death.

"Yet the police refused to protect or rescue the child. It is hard to believe that a nine-year-old child was hanged and died. It is certain that the investigation is currently undermined," Warrier said.

Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan had on Tuesday demanded reinvestigation into the case.

"The investigating team let the accused go, who are the CPM workers, after the interference of the state government, which is led by the CPM. The case should be reinvestigated," he said.

Muraleedharan also met the chairperson of the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and requested its intervention in the matter.

"The Child Welfare Committee of that district where this happened was headed by a CPM leader, who had appeared in the court for the accused. This is very surprising that an accused in such case is protected by the chairman of the Child Welfare Committee," he said.

A special court in Kerala had on October 26 acquitted three accused in the alleged rape and suicide of two minor girls in Palakkad two years ago citing the lack of evidence.

The three men identified as V Madhu, Shibu and M Madhu, were arrested by the police and booked in the matter for allegedly raping 9-year-old and 13-year-old girls inside latter's house in Palakkad.

The elder girl had allegedly committed suicide in January 2017 while the younger girl was found dead almost two months later. The post-mortem examination had found that both the girls were subjected to sexual assault.