Kerala HC directs state to appoint new officer in probe of Palathayi child abuse case

Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the state police chief to appoint a new officer to monitor further investigation in the Palathayi child abuse case. The High Court's directions to state police mentioned that the appointed official should not be below the rank of an Inspector General of Police.

A single bench of Justice PV Kunhikrishnan said that the new officer should be appointed after removing IG Sreejith who is presently supervising the case. The High Court directed the state to reconstitute the Special Investigation Team (SIT) after removing the present members, and the order appointing the new officers has to be issued within two weeks.

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Palathayi child abuse case

The case pertains to Palathayi child abuse in which a Class IV student of a school in Palathayi in Kannur was allegedly abused nearly seven months back and the court observed that the police has not made any breakthrough in the case yet. K Padmarajan, a school teacher and local BJP leader, is the accused in the case. According to the complainant, the accused sexually abused the girl, when she went to the washroom of the school.

The petitioner, who is the mother of the victim, had earlier said that she suspected political interference in the process and felt that her daughter would not get justice through the present investigation team led by Inspector General of Police S Sreejith.

"Though six months have passed since the team launched the investigation, there was no headway in the case. The delay in completing the investigation was deliberate and aimed at providing an undue advantage to the accused. It goes against the POCSO Act which provides for expeditious investigation and trial," the petitioner had earlier said.

The petitioner had also pointed out that the investigation did not record the statement of the child by audio-video electronic means as specified under Section 26(4) of the Act and she also alleged the investigation team was manipulating statements in the name of the victim. The petitioner has also sought to restrain the SIT from submitting the final report before a POCSO court in Kasaragod.

(With ANI inputs, Image credit: PTI)

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