The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the State Police Chief (SPC) to reconstitute the entire Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Palathayi child abuse case.
The case related to the sexual base of a Class IV student by K. Padmarajan, schoolteacher and a local BJP leader in Palathayi in Kannur.
The court also directed that a new Inspector General of Police be appointed as its head, replacing IG S. Sreejith.
The SPC was directed to issue an order appointing new officers within two weeks.
Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan passed the order on a petition filed by the mother of the Palathayi child abuse case victim, seeking to reconstitute the SIT.
When the petition came up for hearing, Senior State Prosecutor Suman Chakravarthy submitted that if the mother of the victim did not want Mr. Sreejith to head the SIT, the government did not have any objection in removing him from the team. The State government wanted to protect the interest of the victim and her family at any cost.
Petitioner’s grouse
The mother pointed out in her petition that her minor daughter would not get justice from the present investigation team led by Mr. Sreejith.
Even after six months of investigation, the SIT could not make any headway. The delay in completing the investigation was deliberate and aimed at providing undue advantage to the accused. Besides,that it was against the POCSO Act which provides for expeditious investigation and trial, the petitioner said.
She alleged that the investigation team did not make any effort to rectify the anomalies and lapses pointed out by the public prosecutor. The victim had been subjected to mental torture and harassment many times by the counsellors and police officers.
Besides, the investigation team did not record the statement of the child by audio-video electronic means as specified under Section 26(4) of the Act. The petitioner also sought to restrain the SIT from submitting the final report before a POCSO court in Kasaragod.
