The Thalassery Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) special court will deliver its verdict on Friday — celebrated as Children’s Day — in the Palathaya sexual abuse case involving a teacher accused of sexually assaulting a Standard 4 student.
The verdict will be delivered by Justice MT Jalaja Rani. Accused K. Padmarajan (49) was accused of sexually abusing a 10-year-old student at a school in Palathaya between January and February 2020.
According to the indictment, he took the child into the bathroom three times and sexually assaulted her. Childline was first informed about the case, which alerted the Panoor police. Based on the complaint of the child’s mother, a case was registered on 17 March 2020 and Padmarajan was arrested on 15 April from a hideout in Poyilur Vilakottur.
The investigation was later handed over to the crime branch on April 24 at the request of the victim’s mother. The trial began on 23 February 2024 and continued until 13 August 2025.
After concerns over the initial investigation, the Kerala High Court intervened and a new team led by Additional Director General of Coastal Police EJ Jayaraj took over the investigation. The final charge was filed in May 2021 under the relevant provisions of the POCSO Act and the Juvenile Justice Act.
Published – 13 Nov 2025 21:10 IST
