Palathayi POCSO case: High Court suspends Padmarajan's sentence, grants him bail

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has suspended the sentence of K. Padmarajan, a BJP leader and teacher convicted in the Palathayi POCSO case, and granted him bail subject to conditions.

The court granted him bail on a bond of Rs 1 lakh with two sureties. It observed that the defence's argument regarding alleged contradictions and changes in the statements of the child survivor was prima facie relevant. The court also raised doubts about the possibility of such an incident taking place without the knowledge of teachers and students at a school with around 600 children.

A trial court had sentenced Padmarajan to life imprisonment and imposed a fine last year after finding him guilty of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl on three occasions between January and February 2020. The alleged incidents took place inside and outside a school in Palathayi, Kannur. He was also sentenced to 40 years in prison under the POCSO Act.

The case had earlier sparked controversy after the investigation team was changed five times and POCSO charges were initially not included in the interim chargesheet.