Pathanapuram: Police traps dad in POCSO case

KOLLAM: The father of a dalit family in Pathanapuram was allegedly trapped by the police in a POCSO (Protection of children from sexual offences Act) case after he protested against the police inaction in cases of atrocities against the dalits. The family of Rajendran, a social activist, alleged that the Pathanapuram police had forced his 15-year-old daughter to give a statement  against him for framing charges of ‘sexual assault.’

“Rajendran was also a member of SC/ST monitoring committee chaired by the Pathanapuram CI.  Rajendran had complained  against the laxity of the  police in cases in which dalits were victims. This made the police to trap him  threatening his daughter,” said Valakom Sivaprasad, a relative of Rajendran. Earlier, Rajendran was taken into police custody after his wife Shobhana  petitioned  the Pathanapuram SI that Rajendran had manhandled her following a domestic dispute on September 29. She said, “the SI refused to take the statement from me and illegally took me and my daughter to Kunnikkode police station. He took my daughter’s  statement and framed  a sexual assault case against Rajendran.

My daughter was also threatened by another policeman at the station  to stick  to the framed statements,” Shobhana said. The family dispute was  turned into a POCSO case, the family alleged. The police produced the daughter before a magistrate to give a secret statement under section of IPC 164 after brainstorming the girl, the family alleged.  “A woman police officer forced me to give statements before the magistrate against my father,” the girl added. The Kollam court remanded  Rajendran in custody for 14 days on October 1.