The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition trooped out of the Kerala Assembly on February 1 (Thursday) imputing that alleged coercion by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] had eroded the State law enforcement’s legal firmness of purpose to obtain a conviction in the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl hailing from a needy family of tea plantation workers belonging to a Scheduled Tribe community at Vandiperiyar in Idukki district in 2021.
Congress legislator Sunny Joseph sought the leave of the House for an adjournment debate on the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s alleged failure to protect the vital societal interests of children belonging to marginalised and economically vulnerable families labouring to escape the deprivations of daily life.
In 2023, a district court in Idukki tossed out the police case that the victim’s neighbour and a local DYFI leader had strangled the minor when she was alone at her house in 2021 to erase evidence of his sexual predation.
The court found the police investigation “belated, unscientific, unconvincing, and lethargic.” Its damning verdict triggered a public outcry against the State police for “denying” the victim’s family justice by allegedly succumbing to CPI(M) pressure.
Mr. Joseph said a Magistrate refused to believe the police’s “incredulous” prima facie finding that the minor committed suicide.
Later, Mr. Joseph alleged that the police and local CPI(M) leaders tried to fend off an autopsy by claiming that the girl’s death was a freak accident.
Ostensibly quoting from the judgment, Mr. Joseph said: “Inexplicable delays caused by lethargy and wilful ignorance of basic prosecutorial procedures caused the prosecution’s case (against the DYFI leader) to collapse.”
Mr. Joseph slammed CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan for calling the family last year (2023) to allegedly pay them blood money.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said the government should hang its head in shame for “protecting” the errant investigating officer who botched the probe to help the CPI(M) save face.
Mr. Satheesan said the police purposefully neglected incriminating scientific and circumstantial evidence and rendered them mouldy during the trial to aid the suspect.
He said the government’s pending appeal against the trial court verdict in the Kerala High Court was just a fig leaf for the police to cover its embarrassing and inculpatory track record.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed the court order a rarity in Kerala. He said the government hoped to make amends through its High Court appeal.
Mr. Vijayan said a person’s political affiliation would not determine the outcome of a criminal prosecution, and the government would punish wrongdoers in the Police department.
Speaker A.N. Shamseer had allowed the Opposition’s notice for an adjournment debate with the rider that the matter was sub judice. He later denied the Opposition motion.
