The General Education department has dismissed K. Padmarajan, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and school teacher sentenced to life imprisonment in Palathayi POCSO case, from service. The school management issued the dismissal order following instruction from the department.
Padmarajan was sentenced by the Thalassery Protection of Children Sexual Offences (POCSO) court to imprisonment until death for sexually assaulting a Class IV student in the school bathroom during January and February 2020 and imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh. The case, which involved charges of rape underSection 376 AB of the IPC and multiple POCSO provisions, had triggered significant political controversy. The court also sentenced him to 40 years of imprisonment (20 years each under separate POCSO counts) and an additional ₹1 lakh as fine.
The court had found Padmarajan guilty of offences that carry a maximum punishment of 20 years to life imprisonment. The case had drawn attention after the investigation team was changed five time and interim charge sheet omitted POCSO sections, leading to political debate.
Published – November 23, 2025 07:44 pm IST
