Kerala BJP leader gets life-till-death sentence in Palathayi POCSO case
Kannur: A POCSO Special Court in Thalassery on Friday sentenced BJP leader and schoolteacher K. Padmarajan, also known as Pappan Master, to life imprisonment until his natural death for repeatedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old Muslim student in 2020.
The verdict came a day after the court convicted Padmarajan in the Palathayi child sexual abuse case. In addition to the life-till-death sentence, the court imposed two separate 20-year rigorous imprisonment terms under aggravated penetrative sexual assault provisions of the POCSO Act. He was fined a total of ₹2 lakh, with an additional year of imprisonment if the amount is not paid.
Padmarajan, a 49-year-old former BJP panchayat president and district leader of a Sangh-affiliated teachers’ organisation, had been working as a teacher at the school where the survivor studied. The investigation revealed that the assault took place multiple times, including inside the school toilet and at a private residence.
The case first surfaced in March 2020 after Childline alerted the Thalassery police. A formal complaint followed on March 18, and Padmarajan was arrested nearly a month later.
The initial probe by Kannur police booked him under IPC Section 376 and POCSO Sections 5 and 6. However, the case later faced major interference, with senior police officers accused of attempting to weaken it by focusing on minor inconsistencies in the child’s statement. At one point, POCSO charges were dropped entirely, and the Crime Branch filed a diluted chargesheet under lesser IPC and Juvenile Justice Act provisions, sparking statewide protests.
Public outrage intensified, and the survivor’s mother approached the Kerala High Court expressing concern about political influence on the investigation. The turning point came when a new investigating officer conducted a detailed scientific inquiry and restored the POCSO charges after evidence, including blood traces from the school restroom, was recovered.
The prosecution argued that the nature of the crime demanded the harshest punishment, stressing the severity of the child’s trauma and the violation of trust by a teacher. The court rejected the defence claim that the case was fabricated and refused leniency, stating that the cruelty inflicted by a person in a guardian-like role warranted exemplary punishment.
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RCB beat MI by 18 runs after batters fire
Mumbai (PTI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli blasted half-centuries as the defending champions beat Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in an Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.
Salt (78 off 36 balls) and Kohli (50 off 38 balls) stitched together a 120-run stand for the opening wicket before Patidar scored a rapid 53 off just 20 balls as RCB posted 240 for 4.
In response, Mumbai Indians were restricted to 222 for 5, with RCB spinner Suyash Sharma (2/47) putting the skids on the home side with a double strike in the eighth over, from which they could not recover.
Sherfane Rutherford top-scored for MI with an unbeaten 71 off 31 balls.
While opener Rohit Sharma appeared to be struggling with a hamstring issue and had to retire hurt on 19, his partner Ryan Rickelton made 37, while Suryakumar Yadav (33) and Hardik Pandya (40) were the other contributors for MI.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 240 for 4 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 78, Virat Kohli 50, Rajat Patidar 53, Tim David 35 not out).
Mumbai Indians: 222 for 5 in 20 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 71 not out, Ryan Rickelton 37, Hardik Pandya 40; Suyash Sharma 2/47).
