“Kerala court acquits POCSO-accused DYFI worker in rape and murder case of a 6-year-old girl, ‘where is the justice’, asks family as they break down”, Opindia, December 15, 2023:
“On Thursday (14th December), a Kerala court acquitted 24-year-old DYFI worker Arjun who was the sole accused in the rape and murder of a 6-year-old girl in Vandiperiyar town in the Idukki district of Kerala in 2021. The court acquitted the 24-year-old accused citing lack of clinching evidence and “glaring lapses” in the investigation of this case.
The judgment of the POCSO court
A bench of special judge Manju V in the POCSO court in Kattappana said that the prosecution failed to prove the case against the accused and was based solely on circumstantial evidence which could not be established to prove the accused guilty.
The court said, “In the result, the accused is found not guilty for the offences punishable under sections 449 (house trespass to commit an offence punishable with death), 376(2)(n) (punishment for committing rape repeatedly on the same woman), 377 (unnatural offences), 376A (punishment for causing death by rape), 376AB (punishment for rape on woman under 12 years of age), 302 (punishment for murder) of Indian Penal Code and under sections 5(i), (j)(iv), (l) and (m) (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) read with section 6 (punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and he is acquitted under section 235 Criminal Procedure Code…..”
Read the full article at Opindia.com
