The general education department has dismissed K. Padmarajan, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and school teacher sentenced to life in the Palathaya POCSO case. The school management issued a dismissal order on the instructions of the department.
Padmarajan was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Thalassery Protection of Children Sexual Offenses (POCSO) court for sexually assaulting a class IV student in the school bathroom during January and February 2020 and fined ₹1 lakh. The case, which involved charges of rape under Section 376 AB IPC and multiple provisions of POCSO, created significant political controversy. The court also sentenced him to 40 years in prison (20 years each under the special POCSO count) and an additional ₹1 lakh as fine.
The court found Padmarajan guilty of the crimes, which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years to life in prison. The case drew attention after the investigation team was changed five times and the provisional chargesheet omitted the POCSO section, leading to a political debate.
Published – 23 Nov 2025 19:44 IST
