Kerala HC Orders To Prosecute Valayar Case Again

Kerala HC orders to prosecute Valayar case again, both minor sisters were found dead at home.

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday ordered the Paxo court’s verdict in the Valayar case to be pronounced as a murder of justice.

The case relates to the finding of two minor sisters dead in their home after alleged sexual assault in 2017.

The division bench of Justice AA Hariprasad and Justice MR Anitha accepted the appeal filed by the state government and the mother of the girls and set aside the Paxo court order acquitting the five accused in the case.

The Kerala HC orders the accused to appear before the lower court on January 20. The High Court said that there were serious flaws in the investigation and the entire matter needs to be reconsidered.

The bench also allowed the prosecution to seek permission from the lower court for further investigation in the case.

The High Court said that there were serious flaws in the investigation of the case initially and the investigating officer failed to gather any proper scientific evidence even a week after the death of the little girl.

The bench also expressed dissatisfaction with the way the Paxo court dealt with the case and stressed the need for special training to be given to Paxo court judges.

The 13-year-old elder of the two sisters was found hanging from the noose on January 13, 2017, at his house in Valayar, Palakkad, while his younger sister, nine, was found dead on March 4. The two girls were reportedly victims of sexual assault.

The special Paxo court in Palakkad, however, acquitted the five accused in October 2019 for lack of evidence. After the acquittal of the accused, the government removed the Public Prosecutor who had seen the case on 18 November.

The government then challenged the Paxo court’s order in the High Court to acquit the accused.