Accused in sexual abuse reappointed in the social justice department

KOZHIKODE: The office of the Minister for Social Justice and Panchayats was allegedly instrumental in appointing a person in the social justice department, after he was found involved in multiple sexual abuse cases of three inmates in the girls’ home at Vellimadukunnu here. The police had also registered cases against the accused, allege women’s organisations.

The police had registered an FIR  against Muhammed Kutti alias Mammutti, a temporary staff member at the institution, based on a report of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) on August 9, 2014. The recurring sexual exploitation was exposed during the visit of  a judicial officer to whom the inmates told  their  plight.

Mammutti  later managed to quash the case in the HC as the first victim, persuaded by the family, had withdrawn the case. Punarjani, the women advocates’ initiative in Kozhikode, has approached the Supreme Court challenging the quashing of the case.  

Advocate P. Seenath of Punarjani told DC that the organization had  filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the  SC seeking a directive to the HC against quashing the case.

“I feel it is against the spirit of law to quash a case citing the withdrawal of the case by one complainant without hearing the other two minors.  Seenath also pointed out that as the case was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO),  it could not be quashed in such a way without the connivance of the prosecution.

“Appointing the same tainted person in the department and also giving  him access to the girls’ home expose the favouritism  in the department,”  she added.

“We are planning legal action against the officials involved in re-appointing such a dangerous person in the department against whom multiple sexual harassment cases are under investigation,” she said.    Though DC  tried to contact  minister  Muneer, he was not available.