Palakkad: A day after four rape accused were killed in a police encounter in Hyderabad, a mob in Kerala thrashed a rape accused who acquitted by court.
Madhu alias Kutti Madhu, fourth accused in the Walayar rape case, was roughed up by a group of men on Saturday. He was taken to nearby hospital by the police.
Witnesses told New18 that an altercation resulted in the crowd launching a volley of blows on Madhu.
On January 13, 2017, two minor sisters, aged nine and 13, daughters of daily-wage labourers, were found hanging inside their home in the border town of Walayar in Palakkad in 2017. The younger child died 52 days from the death of her elder sister. A post-mortem report had confirmed signs of sexual assault on both and the police had registered a case of unnatural death.
Mounting public protest led to the arrest of five, including a minor, under various provisions of the POCSO Act. But all accused were acquitted on October 25 by a special POCSO court in Palakkad, leading to widespread protest across the state.
The prosecution’s failure to provide strong evidence to prove guilt helped the accused get a smooth exit.
The judgment stirred quite a storm in the state, forcing the government to act beyond the verdict, by replacing Child Welfare Committee (CWC) chairman of Palakkad N. Rajesh, who had appeared as lawyer for one of the main accused.
Following this, on November 21, Kerala government launched judicial probe into the acquittal.
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