Palathayi POCSO case; BJP leader Padmarajan sentenced to life imprisonment till death and fined one lakh

THALASSERY: The court has sentenced BJP leader and teacher K Padmarajan to life imprisonment till death and a fine of one lakh in the case of sexually assaulting a fourth-grade girl in Palathayi. The sentence was handed down by the Thalassery fast-track POCSO court. The prosecution responded that the court verdict has brought peace.

The serious allegation was that the girl was sexually assaulted in the school toilet and in another house. The accused, who was the former president of the BJP Thrippangottur Panchayat Committee in Mundathode, Kadavathur, was also the district leader of the Sangh Parivar teachers' organisation National Teachers Union (NTU).

The case began with a complaint received by the Thalassery DySP on March 16, 2020. The initial investigation by the Panoor police concluded that the complaint was false. However, after strong protests against the lack of action against the accused, a case was filed under the POCSO Act. Padmarajan, who was hiding at a relative's house, was arrested on April 15. The family of the girl who was abused criticised the investigation team, and the case was handed over to the Crime Branch.

The Crime Branch was criticized for being negligent in filing the chargesheet. The chargesheet was filed hours before the 90 days were up. However, the POCSO section was not included in the chargesheet, considering it serious. The accused was granted bail by the High Court due to this. The exclusion of the POCSO section from the interim chargesheet was a big controversy. The trial of the case began on February 23, 2024. The court recorded the statement of the child who was the victim of the abuse. The prosecution examined 40 witnesses, including the child's friend, a student, and four teachers.

The court was presented with crucial evidence, including the child's private parts being injured and the subsequent treatment she sought. The court found the accused guilty despite the shortcomings in the investigation.