The child’s grandparents requested access to see their granddaughter but were denied access. Neighbors informed the grandparents about the child’s poor living conditions, following which childcare officials became involved and the abuse was revealed.
Malappuram: A Special Pocso Court in Kerala delivered a landmark judgment on Tuesday, November 4, convicting a woman and her alleged partner for their roles in the systematic sexual abuse of the woman’s minor daughter. Judge Ashraf AM sentenced both individuals to 180 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined them Rs 11.7 lakh each. The convictions involved violations of the Pocso Act, Indian Penal Code, and Juvenile Justice Act. The primary offender, a 33-year-old man from Palakkad, committed the crimes while living with the 30-year-old mother from Thiruvananthapuram and her then-12-year-old daughter.
What Happened?
The mother had left her marital home in Thiruvananthapuram after developing a relationship with the co-accused through telephone contact. The three subsequently resided together in rented accommodations across Palakkad and Malappuram districts. Between December 2019 and October 2021, the man repeatedly sexually assaulted the child. Prosecutors established that the mother actively facilitated these crimes rather than protecting her daughter. Special Public Prosecutor Somasundaran A outlined how the mother’s complicity took multiple forms. She witnessed the assaults without intervening, exposed the child to inappropriate sexual content including pornographic material, provided alcohol to the minor, and forced her to witness sexual acts between the adults. To maintain silence, the mother employed psychological manipulation, falsely claiming surveillance technology had been implanted in the child’s brain to monitor any disclosure attempts.
The abuse came to light through an unexpected chain of events. When the mother contacted Malappuram police seeking assistance in retrieving identity documents from her parents, officers instructed the grandparents to deliver the papers. During this interaction, the grandparents requested to see their granddaughter but were denied access. Concerned neighbors informed the grandparents about the child’s poor living conditions, including food deprivation. This prompted contact with Childline, which relocated the child to a Snehitha care center, where she disclosed the abuse.
Malappuram Women Police Station registered the case in 2021. Inspector Razia Bangalath led the investigation and recorded the victim’s testimony, assisted by Sub-Inspector Sandhya Devi and Senior Civil Police Officer Deepa. The prosecution presented 26 witnesses and 33 documents, with support from ASI Salma N of the prosecution liaison wing. The court found both accused guilty under multiple Pocso Act provisions—Sections 5(l), 6(1), 5(n), and 5(p)—each carrying 40-year sentences and Rs 2 lakh fines. Additional penalties were imposed under Sections 11 and 12 of Pocso, various IPC sections including 354A and 506, and Sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act. Failure to pay fines will result in an additional 20-month jail term. The sentences will run concurrently. The court directed that fine amounts be paid directly to the survivor and instructed the District Legal Services Authority to provide additional compensation through the victim compensation scheme.