Case worker terminated in case of death of child, informs Kerala state HC

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has informed the Kerala High Court that the services of the worker handling the case of an 18-month-old child in Nedumangad who succumbed to injuries due to alleged abuse by her stepfather have been terminated.

A suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) was initiated after receiving reports of the child’s death.

The department found serious errors in the duty of the worker to register the case and take immediate steps to save the child.

The department also said the Children’s Helpline’s line manager would be issued with a criminal complaint and “expedited disciplinary action” would be taken after his explanation was evaluated.

The department would also consider initiating disciplinary proceedings to revoke the deputation of the district child welfare officer to oversee the operation of the local children’s helpline.

The state government further informed the court that considerable progress has been made in the investigation and that a comprehensive charge sheet will be filed in the Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST) Special Court at Nedumangad within the stipulated time.

Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice VM Syam Kumar registered the PIL to inquire into protection of children from serious cases of domestic violence and breakdown of child welfare alerts.

The court was hearing two cases of child deaths due to abuse when the PIL was initiated. First, a minor child succumbed to his injuries after being physically abused by his mother’s partner in Thódupuzha in 2019. The second case was the death of a child in Nedumangad who suffered severe internal injuries allegedly caused by prolonged physical abuse. In both cases, it was noted that the children were treated in hospitals, but no reports were made to the authorities concerned.

Justice Devan Ramachandran, through a letter, brought to the attention of the Chief Justice a report that the child’s grandmother in Nedumangad had allegedly informed the Child Protection Unit about the alleged torture, but no effective action was taken. A suo motu petition has been registered on the basis of this letter and the matter will be heard again on July 29.

Published – 02 Jul 2026 22:23 IST