A fast track special court in Thalassery sentenced a school teacher and local BJP worker in Kannur to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old Muslim student. The judgment followed a detailed trial into the repeated assaults that took place in Palathayi in early 2020.
Judge Jalarajani M T held Padmarajan K, also known as Pappen Master, guilty of assaulting the child multiple times between January and February 2020 while he worked at a school in the area. The court reviewed statements from 42 witnesses and 91 documents.
The court imposed a life sentence under section 376AB of the IPC and a fine of Rs 1 lakh. It also ordered 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and fines of Rs 50,000 each under sections 5(f) and 5(l) of the POCSO Act. The court directed that the POCSO sentences be served first. The fine will be given to the survivor. The District Legal Services Authority will examine and recommend further compensation.
The prosecution stated that the assaults happened inside the school toilet and at the teacher’s residence. Police registered the case on March 17, 2020, and arrested him in April. The investigation changed hands several times. The case moved from local police to the Crime Branch. The Kerala High Court later ordered a new probe after the survivor’s family expressed concerns. A fifth team led by Additional Director General of Police E J Jayaraj filed the chargesheet. He was sent to Kannur Central Prison.