Wadakkanchery gang-rape survivor doubts special investigation team actions

Thrissur: The alleged victim in the Wadakkanchery gang-rape case on Monday approached the Wadakkanchery magistrate court saying that she does not have trust in the special investigation team (SIT) led by ACP G. Poonguzhali. She said in her petition that the further investigation into the case should be under the supervision of the court. The investigative team had earlier recorded the statement of the woman and her husband. But the probe has hit a dead-end with the victim unable to identify the place of occurrence of the offence and some other details.

But her lawyer is of the opinion that the police were reluctant to question the four accused in the case, including Wadakkanchery councillor and local CPM leader P.N. Jayanthan. The SIT has not questioned CI M. V. Manikandan of Peramangalam police station, who had earlier conducted the inquiry and is presently under suspension for allegedly ill-treating the victim during questioning.

Wadakkanchery MLA Anil Akkara had demanded an identification parade of the accused and subjecting both the victim and the accused to polygraph test. On Friday, the Congress had conducted a protest march to Thrissur collectorate and Mr Anil Akkara had suffered a fracture on the elbow of his right arm in police lathicharge. Mr Akkara had alleged soon after the constitution of the SIT that all the policemen in the team except ACP Poonguzhali were close to the pro-CPM police association and that the investigation would not yield any result.