Palakkad: The 3rd accused in the infamous Walayar rape-murder case - where two dalit minor sisters were found hanging at their house in a pace of 2 months from one another - was himself found hanging today at his residence in Cherthala. The deceased has been identified as 36-year-old Pradeep Kumar.
On 13th of January in 2017, the 13-year-old girl was found dead hanging on a rafter inside her one-room home by her nine-year-old younger sister. The minor later told police that she saw two men leave the house with their faces covered. Two months later, on 4th March, she too was found hanging on the same rafter inside the house. Postmortem found both the girls were sexually abused. Five men were accused under POCSO in the crime for charges ranging from abetting suicide, rape and so forth. The court however acquitted the accused slamming the prosecution for “failing miserably” to build evidence in the case.
Pradeep’s suicide today comes amid police preparations to re-open the case following governmental decision. On preliminary findings, the police have put financial distress as reason for the Pradeep’s suicide.
