The Thalassery Protection of Children Sexual Offences (POCSO) Fast Track Special Court on Friday (November 14, 2025) – observed as Children’s Day – found former Triprangode panchayat president K. Padmarajan (49) guilty of sexually assaulting a Class 4 girl at a school at Palathayi, Panoor, in Kannur, Kerala. Judge M.T. Jalaja Rani will pronounce the sentence on Saturday (November 15, 2025).
According to the prosecution, Padmarajan, a teacher, molested the child three times in January 2020 after taking her to the school bathroom. The prosecution examined 40 witnesses, including the girl, and produced 77 documents and 14 material exhibits. The defence examined three witnesses, including the counsellor who recorded the child’s statement.
The case had triggered a controversy after the police were accused of shielding the RSS-linked accused and undermining the girl’s testimony. The Crime Branch took over the investigation following intervention by the High Court and later filed the final chargesheet under relevant POCSO Act provisions.
The child first disclosed the abuse to Childline on March 17, 2020, naming Padmarajan. He was arrested on April 15 from a hideout at Poyilur Vilakottur. However, when she could not recall the exact dates of the abuse, a section of the police allegedly attempted to weaken the case.
The FIR listed a date on which the accused was on leave, a date that the police provided to the counsellors and the doctor who examined the child. After the case was initially booked under “weaker” sections, Padmarajan secured bail on the 90th day. The girl’s mother then approached the High Court.
During this period, Crime Branch IG S. Sreejith sparked another controversy by divulging the child’s confidential statement. When the girl’s mother and the action committee sought cancellation of the bail, the investigating team submitted a report suggesting the child had lied. Crime branch DySP T.P. Ratnakumar eventually filed the final POCSO chargesheet.
During the trial, former school headmaster K.K. Dineshan testified in favour of the accused. Though the child had not attended school for months after the abuse, her attendance was marked. The headmaster claimed that this was done to ensure continuity of the midday meal allowance.
Published – November 14, 2025 03:08 pm IST
