The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team which probed the unnatural death of two minor sisters in Palakkad's Walayar has found that the girls committed suicide following serial sexual abuse.
The CBI, which took up the case after a series of protests and political pressure, has upheld the findings of the Kerala police in the case.
The premier investigation agency, in its charge-sheet, said scientific and circumstantial evidence have ruled out possibility of murder of the girls, aged 14 and nine. The charge-sheet was submitted to the POCSO Court in Palakkad on Monday.
The CBI team, headed by DySP Ananthakrishnan, completed the investigation in nine months. The CBI has named as accused the same people who were found to be the culprits by the police.
Valiya Madhu, Shibu and Kutti Madhu are the accused in the death of the elder girl. Valiya Madhu and another minor boy are accused of abetting the younger girl's suicide.
The girls' mother and the action council formed to seek justice for the victims have expressed dissatisfaction in the CBI's findings.
They are firm on their charge that the girls were murdered. The girls' mother said she would challenge the CBI's finding in the high court.
The CBI began its probe into the case in April following orders of the Kerala High Court which had directed the agency to take over the probe without any delay. The high court order came on a petition filed by the victims' mother.
The eldest girl, aged 14, was found hanging inside their hut on January 13, 2017 and the younger sister (9) on March 4.
Walayar police had come to the conclusion that the girls were sexually abused in unnatural way by five persons including a juvenile for nearly one year till they were forced to commit suicide by the accused by trespassing into their dwelling.
In January, the high court had ordered a re-trial in the case, considering a plea challenging order of a special POCSO court in Palakkad, acquitting the five accused for want for evidence.
The high court on March 19 had directed the CBI to take up the probe into the Walayar case.
The high court gave the directive after considering the state government's consent for the CBI probe into the case.
