Walayar girls’ mother tonsures head to intensify agitation against police officials

The mother of the Walayar sexual assault victims intensified her protest for justice by tonsuring her head on Saturday. The two Dalit girls were found dead in their house in Palakkad’s Attapalam back in 2017.

Still awaiting justice, the victims’ mother tonsured her head to agitate against the state government’s lack of action against police officials who allegedly committed lapses while probing the deaths of the minors.

The protest was held in Attapalam. To express solidarity with the victims’ family, writer Bindu Kamalan and Dalit and Human Rights Movement Leader Saleena Prakanam also tonsured their head at the protest venue. The hunger strike was held with the support of the Walayar (Justice) Neethi Forum near the Stadium Bus Stand in Palakkad.

While getting her head tonsured, the victims’ mother also held the girls' slippers, clothes and anklets in her hand as a mark of protest.

According to reports, the girls’ mother also said that she would be campaigning against the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by the CPI(M) in all constituencies of the state ahead of the elections. This is to protest against the lack of action from the government’s side to ensure justice.

Other prominent people present at the site of protest in Palakkad on Saturday included Alathur MP Remya Haridas and Mahila Congress leader Lathika Subash.

Several slogans were also raised for women and children’s justice at the site of the protest.

The Walayar Neethi Samara Samithi or Walayar Action Council is holding protests to seek against then Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Sojan and Walayar Sub-Inspector PC Chacko for the lapses in the probe in the alleged rape and murder of the two girls.

In January 2021, the Kerala government finally accepted the family’s demand and handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Two weeks after this, the girls’ mother started a hunger strike demanding action against the police officers accused of sabotaging the probe in the case.