8 years on, Ambalappuzha girls await justice

ALAPPUZHA: Three girls of Ambalappuzha Government Vocational Higher Secondary School were found dead, having committed suicide, in their classroom on the morning of November 17, 2008. But their families are still awaiting justice. The police investigation that followed had found they were sexually assaulted.  They arrested their two boyfriends of the same class and submitted a charge sheet. But the parents are in the dark about further proceedings in the court even as the accused walk free. V. Anil, the father of one of the girls, who is an auto driver, suspects the possibility of witnesses turning hostile.

“I came to know that they are trying to influence witnesses offering monetary benefits,” he said. “We will not settle the case out of court. We need justice. The investigating officers were not attending judicial proceedings.” The crime branch team led by the then inspector general Vinson M. Paul had submitted its report in 2009, revealing that Julie Varghese, 17, Anila Babu, 17, and Veni alias Manju alias Vava, 17, consumed pesticide.

They also recovered ten suicide notes from the classroom and six from their houses. Initially, the case was written off as a suicide. The course changed when a journalist covering the case was attacked, and an accused was among his attackers. A special investigation team was set up following the arrest of Shanavas, 20, and Soufar, 20, and they were subjected to medical tests as the post-mortem had confirmed multiple cases of abuse. The court soon granted them bail.

The public prosecutor said the case got delayed due to technical issues. It’s the third court now. First, it was considered by a local court in Ambalappuzha. Then it was shifted to Principal Sessions Court and later, after the Juvenile Justice Act amended, to Additional Sessions Court Alappuzha. The trial is expected to begin soon.