Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday set aside the Palakkad special court's order acquitting all the accused in the Palakkad minor sisters' rape and death case. The court also ordered a re-trial in the case and said that all the four accused should appear before the trial court on January 20. In the year 2019, a special court hearing cases conected with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act had acquitted all the accused in the case. UP Rape Shocker: 50-Year-Old Woman Gangraped, Murdered; Her Private Parts Injured, Ribs & Legs Broken, Lungs Attacked With Heavy Object, Reveals Post-Mortem Report.

The acquittal was met with a huge public furore, and even political parties and NGOs protested against the acquittal. It was alleged that the Kerala Police had allowed 'deliberate laxness' in the case. Serious allegations of laxity in investigations were levelled against the state police.

Kerala HC's Observation:

The court's order on Wednesday once again puts the spotline on the 2017 case. So what is the case and why did it create a public outrage in Kerala, not only against the accused, but also against the police force. Kerala Horror: Ambulance Driver Rapes COVID-19 Patient in Pathanamthitta District, Arrested.

Palakkad minor sisters rape and death case:

Two girls, who were sisters, were found hanging in Shelvapram in Attapallam near Walayar in Kerala. The elder sister, 13 years old at the time, was found dead on January 13, 2017. The younger sister died 52 days after the death of the elder sister. The post-mortem report revealed that the girls were sexually assaulted, reported PTI.

After outrage, four persons were arrested by the police. However, one person was acquitted in September, 2019 and the remaining three accused were acquitted on October, the same year. The police investigation could not uphold the charges of abetment of suicide and rape that the four persons were accused of. However, the Kerala government then filed an appeal in the Kerala high court challenging the acquittal in 2019.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 06, 2021 11:55 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).