Palakkad : The accused persons in Walayar rapes escaped from lack of forensic evidence and inconsistencies in testimonies from witnesses, including the victims' mother and step-father.
In the case, POCSO court acquitted RSS worker Pradeep Kumar, on 30 September.
Although the step-father told police that the girl had complained of sexual harassment by prime accused Madhu, the father failed to state the accusation during cross-examination in the court. The silence also helped acquittal of three co-accused on 25th September.
In a repeat, the victims' mother too refused to testify against the culprits during court hearing, leading to the controversial acquittals.
Also, sexual abuse came to light only after police received postmortem report and informed the parents. No complaint in this regard surfaced earlier. Added to it, the prosecution too failed to establish crime on part of the accused.
The court while concluding the case was critical of insufficient evidence in the crime. Though it was stated that Pradeep Kumar demanded the deceased girl to pose nude next to him, no evidence to the effect was produced before the court.
Also, clothes claimed to have been Pradeep's, lacked scientific trace. Further, the forensic surgeon has failed to explain the wounds found on the 9-year-old's private parts, the court observed.
