Aradhana case not likely to be reopened

Child rights activists determined to take fight to HC

The Aradhana case is unlikely to be reopened by court even if the petitioner appeals against the police report.

Police said in their report submitted to the 10th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Secunderabad that there was no evidence to support the allegations against the parents. There are also no witnesses to prove the charge that Aradhana was forced to fast.

The petitioner’s appeal will be accepted by court only if evidence is submitted, legal experts said.

However, child rights activists are determined to fight and get the case reopened. They are also planning to approach the High Court if the subordinate court rejects their appeal.

Child rights activist Achyuth Rao, who took up the issue, said they have been gathering evidence against Aradhana’s parents.

“This is a peculiar case. The High Court, while denying bail to her parents, had said they should have taken care of the child well. This gives us hope that the HC will reopen the case,” said Rao.

Rao said that since they have lost faith in the police, who did not do a proper investigation, they would request the court to hand over the case to another agency. “The police has not properly investigated the case. So we want other agencies like the CBI to probe the matter,” he said.

Rao said that while Aradhana was spending her last days in trauma, her parents were celebrating by conducting ceremonies. “They had given an advertisement in a local Hindi newspaper celebrating Aradhana’s 68 days of fasting on October 1, 2016,” said Rao.