For five long years, the Palathayi POCSO case travelled through twists, turns, manipulations, and narrative engineering. From the very beginning, forces aligned with police power and RSS networks attempted to blur the truth and bury a child’s testimony. But last Friday, the Special POCSO Court in Thalassery reminded us that hegemonic power structures can crack—and that truth, though delayed, can still surface.

Justice Jalajarani’s verdict awarded BJP leader K. Pathmarajan life imprisonment. Under POCSO Sections 5 and 6, he will serve 40 years without remission, followed by imprisonment till death under additional charges. A fine of two lakh rupees was also imposed.

This is how the story unfolded.

The Beginning: A Teacher Accused

K. Pathmarajan was no ordinary teacher. President of the BJP Thriprangottoor Panchayath Committee in Kannur district, a leader in the RSS-affiliated NTU teachers’ organisation, and locally known as “Pappan Master,” he held social influence and ideological backing.

In March 2020, Childline received a complaint: a 10-year-old fourth-standard girl reported that her teacher, Pathmarajan, raped her repeatedly—at school and elsewhere. Childline passed the information to the Panoor police, who began an initial investigation.

On March 16, the child's guardian submitted a formal complaint to the Thalassery DYSP office. Police recorded statements from the child, her friends, and others. Scientific examinations followed, and Pathmarajan was booked under IPC 306 and POCSO Sections 5 and 6.

By then, he had absconded.

When the Police Turned Protectors

At the outset, the police appeared serious. In a television interview, Thalassery DYSP V. Venogopal stated that the accusations were severe and that Pathmarajan would be found “wherever he is.”
But he wasn’t found.

Investigative energy slowed. Narratives favouring the accused began to take shape. Eventually, the case was handed to the Crime Branch, and IG Sreejith assumed control.

From this point, the direction of the case shifted dramatically. Sreejith removed the major POCSO charges from the chargesheet. In their place, he added minor IPC sections—323, 324—and small provisions under the Juvenile Justice Act. He repeatedly attempted to discredit the child’s statements, portraying her testimony as contradictory or unreliable.

A leaked audio clip later revealed his intention: to shield Pathmarajan and secure his release.

Public outrage exploded. Political parties, large and small, protested. NGOs intervened. The opposition questioned the Left-led Kerala government regarding the police’s open bias towards an RSS-backed POCSO accused.

Simultaneously, the child’s guardian approached the High Court, arguing that the ongoing investigation was one-sided and untrustworthy.

A new Special Investigation Team was appointed.

The Investigation That Changed Everything

Under Taliparamba DYSP Rathnakumar, the case restarted—this time without the earlier distortions. The new team uncovered evidence that had previously been ignored or deliberately missed.

From the school’s restroom—one of the locations where the child said she was assaulted—they recovered blood marks. Testimonies and additional evidence strengthened the case and allowed reinstatement of POCSO Sections 5 and 6.

This evidence formed the backbone of the chargesheet that finally led to the conviction.

RSS Playbook: Islamophobia as Defence

As the case gained public attention, RSS and BJP circles went into defence mode. They claimed Pathmarajan was innocent and portrayed the allegations as the handiwork of “Islamic terrorists.”
Through articles, TV debate panels, and social media campaigns, they spread narratives designed to destroy the credibility of a 10-year-old girl.

Islamophobic rhetoric was deployed shamelessly to protect a paedophile and to frame the victim’s family as part of a communal conspiracy.

Even after the verdict, the defence lawyer declared that if anyone in the convict’s family committed suicide, SDPI and Jama'athe Islami would be responsible. The courtroom, too, became a stage for spilling anti-Muslim hatred—revealing how prejudice can seep into spaces meant for justice.

A Remaining Hope

Recent court decisions on issues concerning marginalised communities have raised fears about the health of Indian democracy. Yet the Palathayi verdict rekindles some faith.

In the judgment, the court observed that a teacher is meant to be a guide and protector. Betraying that responsibility, especially towards a child, warranted the harshest punishment—without leniency.

This verdict is more than a legal outcome.
It is a reminder that the marginalised can still win battles against powerful networks.
It is a testament that manipulative narratives—crafted jointly by parts of the Kerala Police and the RSS ecosystem—can be dismantled.

It is, finally, a moment of hope.

highlight: the palathayi case verdict marks the culmination of a long legal and social battle. activists and local communities fought persistent police and rss narratives to seek justice. the struggle highlights the resilience of grassroots movements, challenges in confronting institutional biases, and the importance of collective memory in preserving the truth over decades.