Kerala school teacher gets life term for raping 10-year-old girl

NEW DELHI: A court on Saturday sentenced a school teacher, who was also a BJP activist, to life imprisonment for raping a 10-year-old girl at Palathayi here. Thalassery Fast Track Special Court Judge Jalarajani M T found Padmarajan K alias Pappen Master (48), a resident of Kadavathoor, guilty of repeatedly sexually assaulting the minor between January and February 2020 while he was working as a teacher at a school in Palathayi.

The court sentenced Padmarajan to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh under IPC section 376AB (rape of a girl below 12 years). He was also sentenced to 20 years rigorous imprisonment each and a fine of Rs 50,000 each under sections 5(f) (penetrative sexual assault on a child) and 5(l) (penetrative sexual assault on a child more than once) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The court decided not to order a separate sentence under IPC section 376(2)(f)(rape by a person in a position of trust or authority) and section 5(m) (penetrative sexual assault on a child below 12 years) of the POCSO Act, even though he was found guilty of these offences as well. The court directed that the sentences under the POCSO Act be served first, before the life term. The fine amount has been ordered to be paid to the victim, and the District Legal Services Authority has been directed to conduct an inquiry and recommend appropriate compensation.

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Accused seeks leniency

Before announcing the sentence, Padmarajan sought leniency, claiming he was the sole breadwinner, but the prosecution argued that the nature of the crime warranted strict punishment. He was later shifted to Kannur Central Prison. According to the prosecution, the 10-year-old student was sexually assaulted by Padmarajan in the toilet of the educational institution and at his residence.

Panoor police registered a case on March 17, 2020, and arrested the accused on April 15. The BJP had alleged that the case was part of a conspiracy by the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). The case was later handed over to the Crime Branch, which initially did not include POCSO charges, enabling the accused to secure bail. Following concerns raised by the victim’s family, the Kerala High Court ordered a fresh probe.

The investigation team was changed twice due to dissatisfaction with the probe. A fifth investigation team led by Additional Director General of Police E J Jayaraj finally completed the probe and filed a chargesheet, officials said. A total of 42 witnesses and 91 documents were examined during the trial, which began in February last year, police said.