Govt committed to get justice for Walayar sisters: Kerala CM

The Kerala government on Monday assured the parents of two minor sisters, who were found dead inside their hut in 2017 after allegedly being sexually assaulted, that all efforts were being made to get justice for them.

"Government's aim is to ensure justice for the Walayar sisters.We all are with them," Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters here.

The assurance comes a day after the parents of the two Dalit girls began a week-long sit-in front of their thatched home at Walayar in Palakkad district on Sunday.The eldest child aged 13 was found hanging inside the hut on January 13, 2017 and the younger sister (9) on March 4.Both were allegedly sexually assaulted.

The POSCO court had acquitted the five accused for want for evidence.Vijayan said the mother of the two girls had met him last year seeking justice for her daughters.

The government has filed an appeal in the Kerala High Court against the acquittal of the accused.It is coming up on November 9.An appeal by the mother, seeking court monitored- investigation, is also pending in the high court.Since the trial in the case is over, it is not possible to ask another agency to take over the investigation of the case,Vijayan said.

However, the government's effort is to point out the lapses in the trial court and to get the verdict quashed and seek further investigation, he added.

The report of retired district judge P K Haneefa, appointed by the government to look into the lapses in the case, has been tabled in the assembly.

Strict action will be taken against the police officials who were named accused in the case, he said.

Meanwhile,leader of opposition in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala and BJP state president K Surendran, visited the family of the two children on Monday.Chennithala drew parallels between the Walayar and Hathras case alleging both were state sponsored terrorism.

The congress leader claimed the opposition had raised the death of the two children in the assembly several times, but the government had failed to do anything.

(IMAGE CREDITS:PTI)