KOCHI: Though police nabbed V Madhu, a relative of the children, based on suspicion and a statement given by their mother after the first death, he was let off by the police the next day. Madhu was an active DYFI worker and an inquiry by higher-ups found that he was released from police custody after local CPM leaders allegedly intervened in his favour.
The police also didn’t bother to probe the sexual abuse angle even though the postmortem report clearly mentioned signs of multiple mucosal erosions in the anus of the elder victim.
An internal inquiry conducted by the police department found that the then Walayar Sub Inspector P C Chacko had released Madhu from police custody based on a direction from the then Kasaba Circle Inspector Vipin Das and the then Alathur DySP VS Mohammed Kasim, who was at that time holding the additional charge of Palakkad division. The office of the then Thrissur range Inspector General M R Ajith Kumar suspended Chacko, ordered an inquiry against Vipin Das and issued a memo against Mohammed Kasim seeking his explanation.
The younger child was undergoing trauma and someone still continued to sexually abuse her. Police never bothered to provide counselling to the second child and record her statement. A detailed probe was launched only after the death of the second child.