NCSC will take up the case: VC on Palakkad rape case of 2017

The Vice-Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NSCS) Dr. L Murugan on Tuesday, visited the house of two minor sisters, the victims in the 2017 rape and suicide case in Kerala's Palakkad district. On October 26 a special court in Kerala had acquitted the three accused in the alleged rape and suicide of two minor girls in Palakkad two years ago citing lack of evidence. The three men identified as V Madhu, Shibu, and M Madhu, were arrested by the police for allegedly raping two girls, aged 9 and 13 years.

After visiting the house of victims in Walayar, Murugan said, "NCSC will take up the case and primary inquiry. I will issue summons to Chief Secretary and DGP and ask them to appear before NCSC." 

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MoS demands reinvestigation

Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on Tuesday demanded reinvestigation of 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 met the chairperson of the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and requested its intervention in the matter.

Earlier on  Wednesday, protests erupted in Kerala over the recent acquittal of the three accused in the 2017 rape and murder case of two minor girls. Student wings from CPI and BJP protested outside the Secretariat in Thiruvanthapuram demanding justice over the acquittal of the accused in the rape and murder of the girls.

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About the case 

The two girls aged 11 and nine and found hanged in January and March 2017, respectively. They belonged to Shelvapuram in Attapallam near Walayar in Palakkad district. Post-mortem reports suggested that they were sexually assaulted. 

The police arrested four people, one of whom was acquitted in September this year, and the remaining three were acquitted on October 25. The accused had been charged with abetment of suicide and rape. CM Pinarayi Vijayan has said in the assembly that the acquittal was unfortunate adding that the government will decide whether to order a CBI probe or not in the case.

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(with ANI inputs)