PALAKKAD: The appearance of the present chairman of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) N Rajesh in the past for one of the accused in the case related to the suicide of two minor Dalit girls in Attappalam near Walayar has ignited a controversy. Rajesh was a CPM nominee for the post of chairman of the CWC. Political detractors have cited it as one of the reasons why the police took a lackadaisical attitude in collecting necessary evidence against the accused.
“Politically appointed nominees to the post of chairman of Child Welfare Committee and prosecutors will affect a thorough investigation. The chairman of CWC as per statute was supposed to ensure that a child in need of care and protection is provided the same and if the child faces social or economic vulnerability, he or she has to be protected from the influence of outside agencies,” said P E Usha, former director of Mahila Samakhya.
She said that Rajesh had appeared on behalf of the accused in the Walayar case even after becoming CWC chairman. Following a complaint, the government had ordered the director of the Women and Child Welfare Department to initiate a probe. Many organisations had deposed before the inquiry. What was the outcome of the inquiry needs to be known, said Usha.
She said that what was needed was a reinvestigation rather than an appeal in the higher courts. The post-mortem by police surgeon Gujral had clearly stated that the two girls were brutally sexually exploited by the accused, Usha added. The former director of Mahila Samakhya reiterated that Suresh, who appeared for the accused, was a junior of Rajesh.
"I appeared on behalf of Pradeep Kumar (the third accused) much before I took up the post of the chairman of CWC. Once I took up the post, I stopped being the advocate of Pradeep," Rajesh added.On the charge that even now it was one of his juniors, Suresh, who was appearing on behalf of the accused, Rajesh said that there were 25-odd juniors under him. Suresh had left him more than 13 years ago, he contended.
At a glance
January 13, 2017:
Elder sister (13-year-old) found hanging in the house at Attappalam in Walayar. Local police registered case and writes it off as unnatural death
March 4, 2017:
Nine-year-old sister found hanging in the house. Case registered against five accused on charges of abetment of suicide, prevention of atrocities on Scheduled Castes and Tribes, POCSO Juvenile Justice Acts
March 8:
The police team investigating the case reconstituted under then DySP (Narcotics) M J Sojan.
March 9:
Sub-Inspector P C Chacko suspended for lapses in investigating the death of the elder girl
September 30:
The POCSO Court had acquitted one of the accused, Pradeep Kumar, in the case.
October 25, 2019:
The POCSO Court, Palakkad, acquits three accused - V Madhu, M Madhu and Shibu
November 15, 2019: The Juvenile Court likely to pronounce verdict regarding the fifth accused, who is a juvenile