THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Five Mahilamorcha activists were arrested by the Museum police after they barged into the premises of the official residence of the State Police Chief Sheikh Darvesh Sahib alleging police lapse in the investigation of Vandiperiyar rape and murder of a six-year-old girl.
The incident took place around 10 am when five Mahila morcha activists entered the residence by jumping up the compound wall. They ran into the house raising slogans against the police despite the police security.
At that time, the DGP was present in the residence and there was insufficient woman police force for security.
However, more women police rushed to the spot from the Museum police station.
Earlier, Mahila morcha activists had announced a protest march towards the DGP office at Vazhuthacaud. But the protest towards the DGP residence was an unexpected move. The arrested activists were shifted to the AR camp at Nandavanam.
The Kattappana Fast Track Special Court on Thursday acquitted the accused citing a lack of clinching evidence and “glaring lapses” in the probe which irked the victim's parents.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the state government will file an appeal against the acquittal of the accused. "It is not something the state can be proud of," he added while addressing a press conference as part of the Nava Kerala Sadas.
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The six-year-old girl was found strangled in Vandiperiyar’s Churakkulam estate on June 30, 2021. Her parents had gone for work when the crime occurred. The autopsy revealed she had been sexually tortured before being killed. The police nabbed Arjun and said he had been abusing the girl since she was three. A team led by Vandiperiyar CI T D Sunil Kumar probed the crime and filed the chargesheet on September 21, 2021. Arjun was booked under the IPC and Pocso Act. The trial began in May 2022. As many as 48 witnesses were examined and over 69 documents and 16 items were submitted as evidence. A new judge took charge amid the trial, which, it is believed, came as a setback for the prosecution