As a result of the growing public rage over the recent incidents of rape in the country, one of the acquitted accused in the Walayar rape and death case of two minor sisters in separate incidents in 2017, was allegedly thrashed by a group of people on Saturday morning within the Walayar station limits in Palakkad district of Kerala.
C Madhu, one of the accused in the Walayar rape case sustained injuries in the attack and has been admitted at a government hospital in Palakkad. According to police an altercation between the accused and a group of 4 to 5 men led to the incident. Three of the attackers have been taken into custody by Kerala police.
The police team will soon be reaching the hospital to record the statement of the accused who got injured in the attack.
C Madhu was one of the four accused who were acquitted in the case which relates to the mysterious death and alleged sexual exploitation of two minor siblings at Walayar town in Palakkad district in 2017. While one of them allegedly committed suicide, the second one was later found dead.
A POCSO court in Palakkad had, in October, had acquitted the accused in the case after the prosecution failed to establish their involvement in the crime. Following the acquittal of the accused, the Kerala government faced severe criticism over the handling of the investigation. It was alleged that the ruling CPI(M) had attempted to stall the investigation, which has led to the acquittal of the accused.
It was accused that the Kerala police under political pressure, allegedly helped the accused evade the conviction by weakening the case. Ironically, the accused in the case were CPI(M) workers and the defense lawyer was a local CPI(M) leader.
On November 1, a division bench of the Kerala High Court had dismissed a plea seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the case. The Kerala government had then announced a judicial probe into the case and had also informed the court that it plans to appeal against the special POCSO court verdict acquitting three accused in the case on October 25.
