Special prosecutor blames lack of scientific probe for failure

They should have collected the statement from the younger girl after providing her counselling.

KOCHI: Special Prosecutor Latha Jayaraj on Tuesday said she didn’t support the police decision to provide a police officer as a prosecution aid because she was not interested in having an external aid to help her argue the case for the prosecution.  

“As far as I am concerned, this case is just as important as any. I don’t want a police officer helping me inside the court,” she said. She said the case could have stood a better chance in conviction of the accused if the police had done a detailed probe into the death of the elder girl. “Police could have done a scientific probe when the first death was reported.

They should have collected the statement from the younger girl after providing her counselling. In fact, we could have rescued the younger girl and her statement could have been enough for conviction,” she added.

The accused’s links with victims

All of them were known to the children’s family. 
V Madhu and M Madhu are close relatives of the girls’ mother Bhagyavathi while Shibu, a former co-worker of the parents, had been living with the family for eight years. Pradeep Kumar lived in the same locality. The fifth accused is a juvenile, who is their neighbour.

What resulted in prosecution losing case?

• Lack of scientific evidence: Additional Sessions Court judge Muralee Krishna S noted, “No semen or spermatozoa could be collected either from the specimen collected from the deceased girl or from the dresses of the accused. There is an absolute absence of scientific evidence to connect the accused with the alleged offence.” 
• The court also found that many of the statements of the witnesses were contradictory and did not have valid grounds to prove the crime committed by the accused.