Teacher granted bail in Palathayi POCSO case to be released today

KANNUR: K Padmarajan, the accused in the Palathayi POCSO case, who was granted bail, will be released on Saturday. The Kerala High Court had on Friday suspended his life imprisonment awarded to him by the trial court. The high court took the decision after finding that there appeared to be a prima facie error in the trial court's verdict.

The high court observed that the defence argument regarding major contradictions and alterations in the statements given by the minor victim was relevant. The court also expressed doubts about the possibility of such an incident taking place without coming to anyone's attention in a school with around 600 students, and granted bail to the accused.

The trial court sentenced BJP leader and teacher Padmarajan to life imprisonment in November last year. Padmarajan was sentenced to life imprisonment and a fine slapped in the case for sexually abusing the 10-year-old girl thrice inside and outside the school at Palathayi in Kannur, between January and February 2020.

Padmarajan was granted bail subject to conditions, including a bond of Rs one lakh and two solvent sureties. The case had earlier sparked controversy after the investigating team was changed five times and the POCSO Act was not invoked in the interim chargesheet.

CPM Kannur district secretary K K Ragesh had alleged yesterday that Padmarajan was granted bail due to collusion by the prosecution. The LDF government secured the conviction and punishment for the accused. Ragesh told the media that the prosecution would not have approached the case so casually without government intervention, and the latter could not evade responsibility.