In a surprising development, a man accused of raping and murdering a 6-year-old girl in Kattappana was acquitted by a court on Thursday. The special fast-track court in Kattappana found that the evidence provided by the police against the accused, Arjun, was insufficient for conviction. The case involved the alleged sexual assault and murder of the young girl at Vandiperiyar in Kattappana in 2021. The victim was discovered hanging in a room at the estate layam (settlement huts of estate workers).
During the trial, it was disclosed that the accused had purportedly sexually exploited the girl since she was three years old by offering sweets and food items. Testimonies were presented to support this information. The defense raised concerns about the police presenting fabricated witnesses in court and called for a re-investigation to identify the true culprits.
The investigating officer indicated the possibility of appealing the decision. The High Court had previously sought an explanation for the police’s failure to charge the accused under the Scheduled Castes – Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Harassment Act. The court noted that the charge sheet lacked certain clauses that could result in the maximum punishment for the accused, arousing suspicions. Additionally, the police overlooked the family’s request to add Section 325 of the SC-ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, resulting in the loss of financial assistance for the victim’s family. The charge sheet was submitted within 78 days of the incident, and the trial began in May 2022 at the Kattappana fast-track court.
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