Idukki: A 24-year-old man accused of molesting and murdering a minor girl in his neighbourhood, was acquitted by a special fast-track POCSO court in Kattappana on Thursday as the prosecution failed to prove charges. The person acquitted is Arjun.

The alleged crime that sent shockwaves across Kerala happened in  2021. The 6-year-old girl was found hanging on June 30 in a room in Churakulam Tea Estate located in Vandiperiyar. The autopsy report revealed that the girl was sexually assaulted. 

Police during the probe booked Arjun. According to police, the accused confessed that he molested the girl and killed her by hanging as she became unconscious. The probe team also claimed that he was addicted to porn and molested her several times over a period of three years.

Murder and sexual assault charges, and other sections under the POCSO act were slapped on the accused. The prosecution produced 48 witnesses and submitted more than 69 documents to frame the person. However, judge V Manju noted that the prosecution failed to prove the charges.

Victim's mother expresses agony

The court premises witnessed emotional scenes as the victim’s mother broke down in tears. She remarked that her daughter did not get justice. “It remains a reality that my child was killed, but she is devoid of justice,” she said.

“We were not having a child for 14 years. She was killed, right?... People in the locality know things he has done. He is acquitted. He is going to have a happy life. We lost our child, right?” she expressed her agony.