Vandiperiyar rape-cum-murder case: UDF accuses Left govt of protecting culprit

The Congress-led UDF in Kerala accused the Left government of protecting the accused in the Vandiperiyar rape-cum-murder case, resulting in acquittal. The opposition claimed government "carelessness" and "indifference" due to the accused's Left front affiliation. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan refuted the allegations, stating that the police acted promptly, an appeal was filed against the trial court's decision, and department-level actions were being considered. The opposition staged a walkout, demanding a reinvestigation and criticizing the government for protecting the accused. The trial court had criticized the police's "lethargic" and "unscientific" probe in the case.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress-led opposition UDF on Thursday accused the Left government, in the Assembly, of deliberately trying to protect the accused in the Vandiperiyar rape-cum-murder case which led to his acquittal by the trial court. A court in Kerala had on December 14 last year acquitted a man accused of raping and killing a six-year-old girl, who was his neighbour, at Churukkulam estate in the high-range Idukki district of the state in June 2021.

In an adjournment motion seeking suspension of the scheduled business of the House, the opposition accused the state government of showing "carelessness" and "indifference" towards the case in view of the accused's affiliation to the Left front. Denying the allegations in the motion and rejecting the opposition demand to suspend the scheduled business of the House, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the police lodged a case in time and carried out an investigation in the matter.

Terming the crime as unfortunate, the CM further said that the government has filed an appeal against the trial court decision in the Kerala High Court. He said that the government was also considering the need for any department-level action in view of the trial court's criticism of the investigation carried out by the police.

Vijayan also said there were several examples of the police and prosecution ensuring the highest punishments for those accused of crimes against women and children in the state. In view of the stand taken by the CM, Speaker A N Shamseer ruled that the motion to suspend the scheduled business of the House to discuss the matter was rejected.

Subsequently, the opposition staged a walkout from the House in protest against the government's alleged "lackadaisical" approach towards the case and efforts to protect the accused right from the beginning. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan, in his walkout speech, said the government should actually order a reinvestigation of the case.

He said that there was no point in going on appeal in the High Court with the same evidence which was there before the trial court. "In the appeal you have the same evidence as was there in the trial court. So, how will you ensure justice for the victim? You should order a reinvestigation," Satheesan said. The LoP also accused the CPI(M) and the state government of protecting the accused and the family after one of their relatives allegedly attacked the victim's father and grandfather recently.

He also said that around one-and-a-half month has gone by since the trial court verdict criticising the "lethargic" and "unscientific" probe by the police, but till date the government has not taken any action against the investigating officer. Similar allegations were also levelled by other UDF MLAs, including Deputy LoP P K Kunhalikutty, Sunny Joseph and K K Rema, during the discussion on the motion.

The Fast Track Special Court for the trial of offences under the POCSO Act acquitted the accused -- Arjun -- saying "the prosecution failed to establish all the circumstances which are consistent with the guilt of the accused and inconsistent with his innocence." The trial court had said that in the instant case the investigating officer (IO) adopted a "lethargic attitude" throughout the investigation.

It had also said that the "unscientific way of collecting evidence without showing the shrewdness and intelligence reasonably expected from an investigating officer, seriously affected the prompt and timely collection of evidence in the case." The girl was found hanging inside her house on June 30, 2021 when her parents went out for work in a nearby plantation. Police had initially registered a case of unnatural death but the autopsy report confirmed that the child was raped before she was hanged.

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