Idukki: The Kattappana Fast-track Special Court has acquitted the accused in the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl in Vandiperiyar in Idukki. Judge V Manju noted that the prosecution failed to prove the charges. The verdict was given two years after the chargesheet was filed.
The girl's parents broke down after hearing the verdict. Her father, who earlier demanded death penalty for the accused, said that his daughter has been denied justice. The family said that they would continue the legal fight till the culprit gets the maximum punishment.
Defence lawyer SK Adityan said, "We are glad at the verdict and will request for a re-investigation. The accused was arrested by fabricating false evidence and we will also demand a compensation for defamation."
Adityan said that on June 30, 2021, a six-year-old girl was raped, killed and strangled in Vandiperiyar's Churakkulam estate. At first it was thought that she had been suffocated to death by a shawl that was found wrapped around her neck. However, the post-mortem report revealed that she was sexually tortured and murdered, he said.
Later, police investigations found that Arjun, a native of Vandiperiyar allegedly committed the crime. It was revealed that the girl, who became unconscious during the torture, was strangled to death. It was also found that the accused had been abusing the girl since she was three years old. He would abuse her after her parents left for work.
The case was investigated by a team led by Vandiperiyar Circle Inspector, TD Sunil Kumar. The chargesheet was filed on September 21, 2021 and the accused was booked under relevant sections of the IPC and POCSO Act.
In May 2022, the trial of the case began in the Kattappana Fast Track Court. The girl's father had approached the High Court demanding that sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Harassment Act should also be imposed against the accused. But the court denied permission after it was found that both the victim and accused belong to SC category.
During the trial, 48 witnesses were examined while more than 69 documents and 16 items were submitted to the court as evidence. During the trial, the new judge took charge and the verdict was scheduled for today.
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