Walayar case accused arrested for attempting to sexually assault 60-year-old woman

24-year-old Arun Prasad, the fifth accused in the Walayar case, reportedly broke into the woman’s house in Papampallam village and attempted to assault her.
Image featuring Arun Prasad wearing black shirt
Arun Prasad
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Kerala police on Saturday, May 31, arrested Arun Prasad, the fifth accused in the 2017 Walayar case, for allegedly attempting to sexually assault a 60-year-old woman living alone in her house in Palakkad. He is currently in judicial custody.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of May 31, when 24-year-old Arun reportedly broke into the woman’s house in Papampallam village and attempted to assault her. Alerted by the commotion, local residents rushed to the spot, overpowered Arun, and informed the Walayar police.

Arun, a native of Papampallam, was taken into custody by the police and later produced before a magistrate, who remanded him.

He has been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections 74 (outraging the modesty of a woman), 329(2) (house trespass), and provisions related to attempted rape.

Arun was out on bail in connection with the 2017 Walayar case, in which two Dalit sisters aged 13 and 9 were found dead inside their home within a span of 52 days. Trial is underway in the case. Post-mortem reports revealed that both girls had been subjected to prolonged sexual abuse, sparking widespread public outrage across Kerala.

On June 22, 2019, police filed a chargesheet naming five individuals, including Arun, who was a minor at the time. However, a lower court later acquitted all the accused, citing lack of evidence. In 2021, the Kerala High Court ordered the CBI to take over the investigation.

In 2022, the CBI submitted its report, but the High Court deemed the investigation inadequate and called for a fresh probe. However, this second probe came to a halt after the victims’ parents approached the court. On January 9, 2025, the court stayed further proceedings after the CBI’s report named the girls’ parents as accused.

Image featuring Arun Prasad wearing black shirt
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