Palathayi sexual abuse case: Demand for IG's ouster gets louder

Kozhikode: Activists and writers have called for observing a state-wide fast in houses on Sunday, demanding the expulsion of inspector-general of police (crime branch) S Sreejith from the team probing the Palathayi sexual abuse case.

The call was issued after an audio clip of a telephonic conversation, purportedly of Sreejith—the probe team supervisor—divulging the details of the case to a youth, circulated on social media.

Personalities, including K Satchidanandan, B Rajeevan, Sara Joseph and B R P Bhaskar, also urged the people to mail the photographs of them fasting to the chief minister.

“The girl won’t get justice if Sreejith remains as the supervisory officer. He had violated Pocso norms and divulged the details of the case to the public in a phone call. Our main demand is to suspend Sreejith,” said activist Sreeja Neyyattinkara. She added that Remya Haridas, MP, V M Sudheeran and M N Karassery, too, have expressed support to the cause.

Meanwhile, women police officers have taken over the further investigation of the case in which a 10-year-old girl was allegedly molested by a local BJP leader. Kasaragod police chief Shilpa D and DSP (narcotics), Kannur Reshma Ramesh have joined the team.

The additional sessions court, Thalassery, had ordered further investigation into the case after the prosecution filed a chargesheet excluding relevant sections of Pocso Act. The crime branch had said they were continuing with the investigation to assess scientific evidence against the accused Kunyil Padmarajan. The allegation was that Padmarajan, also a schoolteacher, sexually abused the girl and threatened to kill her if she divulged the incident to anyone. The girl was his student in the school.

There was a hue and cry over the delay in filing the chargesheet and the absence of Pocso Act when it was finally filed. The girl’s mother had expressed lack of trust in the crime branch investigation team.

Meanwhile, a war of words has started between SDPI and CPM over the issue. CPM’s Kannur former district secretary P Jayarajan alleged that the intervention of SDPI workers has weakened the case.

Jayarajan said the girl's statement in court differed from what she told police and Childline. He said the statement weakened the case, and alleged a Sangh Parivar and SDPI nexus behind different statements. SDPI retorted that Jayarajan’s was a feeble attempt to defend his party after the truth was exposed. The police were forced to act when the public launched agitations, SDPI said.