Amid the protests by parents of two minor girls in Walayar who were allegedly raped and killed, the Kerala government gave assurances that all efforts were made to bring them justice. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters on Monday that the government’s aim is ensure them justice.
"Government's aim is to ensure justice for the Walayar sisters. We all are with them," CM Pinarayi said.
The assurance comes a day after the parents of the two Dalit girls began a week-long protest in front of their thatched home at Walayar in Palakkad district on Sunday.
The eldest child aged 11 was found hanging inside the hut on January 13, 2017 and the younger sister aged nine on March 4. Both girls were allegedly sexually assaulted.
A trial court had acquitted the five accused last year for want of evidence. The parents and the state government later submitted petitions at the high court to overturn the order of the trial court and have a reinvestigation.
CM Pinarayi said the mother of the two girls had met him last year seeking justice for her daughters.
"The government has filed an appeal in the Kerala High Court against the acquittal of the accused. It is coming up on November 9. An appeal by the mother, seeking court monitored- investigation, is also pending in the high court. Since the trial in the case is over, it is not possible to ask another agency to take over the investigation of the case," the CM said.
However, the government's effort is to point out the lapses in the trial court and to get the verdict quashed and seek further investigation, he added.
The report of retired district judge PK Haneefa, appointed by the government to look into the lapses in the case, has been tabled in the assembly.
Strict action will be taken against the police officials who were named accused in the case, he said.
Meanwhile, leader of opposition in the state assembly Ramesh Chennithala and BJP state president K Surendran, visited the family of the two children on Monday.
Chennithala said that the opposition had raised the death of the two children in the assembly several times, but the government had failed to do anything.
(With PTI input)
Watch: How the Walayar sisters' case was botched up