KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the state police chief to appoint a new officer, not below the rank of an Inspector General of Police, to monitor further investigation into the Palathayi child abuse case, replacing IG S Sreejith who is currently supervising the case. The court ordered the DGP to reconstitute the special investigation team (SIT) excluding the present members within two weeks.
The team led by Sreejith had come in for severe criticism for the manner of investigation, especially after the accused was released on bail by the court. Justice P V Kunhikrishnan issued the order while disposing of a petition filed by the mother of the survivor, seeking to reconstitute the SIT by appointing a new officer to conduct a proper investigation. The case pertains to the sexual abuse of a Class IV student at Palathayi in Kannur district.
A male teacher of her school was arrested in the case. In a three-part series from September 11-13, TNIE had exposed the lapses in the investigation, including the attempts to sideline the medical examination report, which clearly indicated sexual abuse. Senior state prosecutor Suman Chakravarthy submitted before the court that if the mother of the survivor feels that the presence of IG Sreejith is not necessary for the probe, the state has no objection.
The state will only protect the interest of the survivor and her family, the prosecutor said. The c o u r t r e c o r d e d t h e submission. Expressing distrust in the investigation, the mother, in her petition, said that her minor daughter will not get justice from the current investigation team led by IG Sreejith. Though six months have passed since the team launched the probe, there is no headway in the case. The delay in completing the investigation was deliberate and aimed at providing undue advantage to the accused, she said, adding that it goes against the Pocso Act which provides for expeditious investigation and trial.
‘No effort to rectify anomalies’
The investigation team did not make any effort to rectify the anomalies and lapses pointed out by the public prosecutor, and the girl has been subjected to mental torture and harassment on several occasions by counsellors and police officers, the mother of the victim said in the petition. The probe team did not record the girl’s statement using audio-video electronic means as specified under Section 26(4) of the Act and was manipulating statements in the name of the victim, she said. The petitioner also sought to restrain the SIT from submitting the final report before a Pocso court in Kasaragod.