Kerala child abduction case: Couple, daughter held
Kollam (Kerala) (PTI): A businessman, his wife, and their YouTuber daughter were arrested by the Kerala Police here on Saturday for allegedly kidnapping a six-year-old girl earlier this week, demanding a ransom of Rs 10 lakh.
The child was later abandoned on a public ground in Kollam after the incident gained widespread attention.
Police said the accused Padmakumar, an engineering graduate, his homemaker wife Anitha Kumari, and their daughter Anupama Padman, who boasts a substantial following on YouTube, were taken into custody based on a combination of scientific, digital, and circumstantial evidence.
ADGP M R Ajithkumar said that information provided by civilians, who recognised the voice of one of the accused during ransom negotiations, played a crucial role in their apprehension.
The kidnapping, which unfolded earlier this week, captured public attention when the perpetrators abandoned the minor girl on a public ground in this southern district.
The police, aided by a portrait of Padmakumar drawn with input from the kidnapped girl, successfully tracked down the accused.
The motive behind the abduction was allegedly the family's pressing financial issues.
"The abduction was a meticulously planned one. The accused had been planning the crime for the last one year and was looking for a suitable child to kidnap," Ajithkumar told reporters outside Pooyappally Police station where the case was registered.
Padmakumar was engaged in several businesses, including the operation of a local cable TV network, but is said to be suffering from an acute financial crisis post Covid.
"As per his statement, he had debt to the tune of over Rs five crore. He had an immediate need of Rs 10 lakh which prompted the family to carry out the crime," the official said.
Police suspected that Anitha Kumari was the brain behind the abduction.
The ADGP also said the accused had tried to abduct the child two times before but didn't succeed as she was accompanied by her mother and grandmother on the occasions.
Though 20-year-old Anupama had good earnings through social media, it suddenly stopped some time back due to technical reasons, which also prompted the family to think about some other easy way to earn money, the officer added.
He lauded the special police team under DIG Nishanthini who probed the case and nabbed culprits in a short span of time.
The six-year-old girl, who was kidnapped while going home from tuition with her elder brother, was found abandoned at a public ground here the next day.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Palakkad confirmed that the investigation had achieved significant progress.
"The main accused are in police custody. Police will divulge further details," Vijayan told a press conference here.
He lavished praise on the police force for apprehending the accused.
A remarkable investigation was carried out by the police in the case which helped take the accused into custody within a short span of time, he added.
A sincere and dedicated probe carried out by the police helped to nab the real accused in a short time, the CM said.
Vijayan also slammed the opposition Congress for criticising the police with regard to the investigation of the incident.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
