The Kerala High Court on Friday directed the CBI to take up the probe into the Walayar case, in which two minor sisters were found dead in their hut in 2017 after allegedly being sexually assaulted.
The girls, aged 13 and nine, died between January and March 2017 at a shed where the family was living. The eldest girl was found dead on January 13, 2017, and the younger sister on March 4. Both were allegedly sexually assaulted.
The High Court gave the directive after the state government's consent for the CBI probe into the case. The central agency can take over any investigation in Kerala only with the consent of the state government. The state government had earlier informed the court that it was not averse to a CBI investigation into the case.
The petition seeking the CBI investigation into the case was moved by the victims' mother.
In January, the high court had ordered a re-trial in the case, considering a plea challenging order of a special POCSO court in Palakkad, acquitting the five accused for want for evidence.
The girls' mother has been on protest to punish the officers who initially investigated the case for allegedly sabotaging the investigation.
The mother is now contesting against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Dharmadom constituency in Kannur for Kerala Assembly polls. The state will go to the polls on April 6.
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Court in Palakkad in 2019 October had acquitted all the accused in the case. In January this year, the HC ordered for the case to be reinvestigated.
In March, the girls’ mother had taken out a Neethi Yatra or rally for justice from Kasargod district in the northern district of the state seeking justice for the kids, which was supposed to be statewide but was cut short.
With PTI Inputs