KOCHI: What led to the 1996 deaths of two siblings, both minors and maternal relatives of the Walayar sisters? This was a key question that the CBI team probing the rape and deaths of the two minor girls in Walayar asked itself. The central investigating agency proceeded to examine the deaths of the siblings, aged 17 and 11, but lack of evidence and insufficient records, of an incident that occurred over two decades before the deaths of the Walayar sisters in 2017, blunted its efforts.
The CBI chargesheet, filed with the special court in Ernakulam, said: “During further investigation, it was also noticed that there is a history of unnatural deaths among girl siblings on the maternal side of the deceased [Walayar] children. On the night of February 22, 1996, Shanta, 17, and Jaya, 11, met with unnatural deaths.
According to Sarojini, the grandmother of the Walayar sisters, the girls had gone outside together to urinate, accompanied by her. After they returned, they started bleeding from the nose. She claimed that the children had been attacked by a ‘karuvu’ or ‘odiyan’ — a mythical manifestation in which mysterious persons take the form of wild animals to harm victims for selfish motives. Both girls died the same day, and postmortem findings indicated poisoning in the blood. However, the cause of death was not recorded in either of their death certificates.”
On June 27, 2023, the investigating officer filed an application with the SDM court in Palakkad for transfer of case records of the 1996 deaths to the Pocso special judge in Palakkad. The records could, however, not be traced. “The FIR and final report of the crime were also unavailable at the police station,” the CBI said.
It pointed out that a certified copy of the extract of the crime ledger for Palakkad sub-division maintained in the office of the Palakkad DSP was collected by the CBI which said the deaths were caused “due to snakebite”.
The chargesheet added that there is no material to prove the involvement of the pornography mafia in the death of the Walayar sisters. According to the investigating agency, the forensic retrieval of data from the mobile phone of the victims’ mother revealed nearly 200 videos of pornographic content in its memory card.
During the further investigation, efforts were also made to examine the involvement of any mafia or group engaged in child pornography. Witnesses were examined and all of them denied having seen or heard about pornographic videos/photographs of the victims in circulation.
The available mobile numbers of the accused and suspects were sent to NCRB, New Delhi to determine whether any child pornographic content was uploaded onto any website or social media platform from the devices. NCRB’s reply proves that no child pornographic content was uploaded from any of the mobile numbers stated in the chargesheet, the CBI said.