The Ernakulam CBI court has issued a summons to the parents of the deceased girls in Walayar, requiring them to appear before the court on April 25. The summons follows the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filing a charge sheet naming the parents as the second and third accused in six cases related to the deaths of their daughters in 2017.
P Sabarinathan, Additional Special Judge of the CBI III court, accepted the charge sheet and directed the parents to be present in person on the scheduled date. They will have the option to apply for bail upon appearing.
The Walayar case dates back to early 2017, when two minor Dalit sisters, aged 13 and 9, were found dead 52 days apart. Their deaths were initially recorded as suicides, but post-mortem reports revealed sexual assault over an extended period. The police arrested five individuals, including a minor, all of whom were either relatives or known to the family.
Recently, the CBI accused the parents of “wilful negligence”, alleging that their inaction abetted the crimes against their children. However, the Walayar Neethi Samara Samithi, an action council fighting for justice in the case, has raised serious concerns over the urgency with which the CBI court acted.
In a statement, the action council said, "There is suspicion over the CBI court’s haste in issuing summons. The mother has already challenged the charge sheet in the High Court, and the petition is set to be heard on April 1. Instead of awaiting the High Court’s decision, the move to summon the parents on April 25 raises concerns about possible external influences."
The parents approached the Kerala High Court a few days ago, seeking to quash the charge sheet against them, calling it a "classic example of biased investigation." They alleged that the CBI ignored key forensic evidence and filed "perfunctory charge sheets." They have also demanded a fresh investigation, including an inquiry into the possibility of homicide.
The parents’ petition to the HC pointed out crucial inconsistencies, including cellophane test results confirming murder. Discrepancies between the height of the shed beam (where the children were found dead) and the children's heights, forensic expert Dr Gujral’s opinion suggesting homicide, and the younger child’s testimony stating that two masked individuals were seen fleeing the scene when the elder child died, were also cited by the parents.