THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the wake of the High Court directive, Kerala Police has reconstituted the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the sensational Palathayi child sexual abuse.
The team leader IG (crimes) S Sreejith has been replaced. As per the reports, the new team will be led by IG EJ Jayaraj.
Last month, the HC directed the police chief Loknath Behera to reconstitute the SIT as the family of the victim approached the court seeking to replace Sreejith as they were unhappy with the probe led by him.
Justice PV Kunhikrishnan had issued the order while disposing of a petition filed by the mother of the Palathayi child abuse case victim, seeking to reconstitute the SIT probing the case by appointing a new officer not below the rank of IG of police to conduct a proper investigation.
The police have not made any breakthrough in the case involving the alleged abuse of a Class IV student of a school in Palathayi in Kannur nearly eight months after it first came to light.
Expressing distrust in the investigation, the victim's mother had earlier said her minor daughter will not get justice from the investigation team led by Sreejith. Though seven months have passed since the team launched the investigation, there was no headway in the case.
The delay in completing the investigation was deliberate and aimed at providing undue advantage to the accused, she had said, adding that it goes against the POCSO Act which provides for expeditious investigation and trial.
She had also added that the investigation team did not record the statement of the child by audio-video means as specified under Section 26(4) of the Act and was manipulating statements in the name of the victim.
K Padmarajan, a school teacher and local BJP leader, is the accused in the case. According to the complainant, the accused sexually abused the girl, studying in Class IV, when she went to the washroom of the school.