Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has decided to hand over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) the case pertaining to the 2017 sexual abuse and murder of two teen sisters in Walayar.
The case file has been handed over to the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
After the state government issues the notification, the file would be forwarded to the Union Ministry of Personnel. Subsequently, the CBI can decide on taking up the case. The Ministry of Personnel would issue the final notification only after seeking the CBI's opinion.
The CM has also instructed the prosecutor to go ahead with the legal proceedings.
Seeking a CBI probe into the case, the girls’ family had handed over a memorandum to the Chief Minister's Office a few days ago.
'Oust officers, who scuttled the case'
The girls’ mother said that she was happy over the decision to hand over the case to the CBI, despite the delay.
"The government should dismiss all officers, who scuttled the case right from the beginning. Even while standing by us, officers who scuttled the case are also being safeguarded. This should end,” the woman insisted.
"The government is indirectly admitting to the lapses in the investigation by going for an appeal and seeking a CBI probe. Let the CBI find out if the current accused are the real culprits," she added.
The case
The two sisters, aged 13 and 9, were found hanging at their house in Attapallam near Walayar in Kerala's Palakkad district within a span of two months in 2017. Both of them were reportedly sexually abused.
The High Court division bench had last week set aside the verdict of the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) court that acquitted the three accused. While ordering a re-trial, the HC said that the government can carry out further probe.
