A Kerala Court acquitted a 23-year-old person who was the sole accused in the rape and murder of a five-and-a-half-yearold minor girl at Vandiperiyar town in the Idukki district in 2021. The court’s decision, delivered by Special Judge Manju V., was based on the lack of substantial evidence and critical defects in the investigation process.

The prosecution alleged that the accused sexually assaulted the minor victim on multiple occasions, culminating in a tragic incident on June 30, 2021, where the accused was accused of criminally trespassing into the victim’s residence, committing penetrative sexual assault, and subsequently causing her death. The accused faced charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and under Section 5 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) r/w Section 6 (punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act.