The Hill Palace police have arrested the warden of a children’s home at Thripunithura under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, after two residents raised allegations of sexual abuse against him.
Though the incident took place in early November, it came to light after it went viral.
According to the police, Ratheesh has been serving as warden since 2014 and has no criminal antecedents. They did not divulge further details, citing orders from the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
“We arrested the accused within 24 hours of receiving the complaint, and he is now behind bars. Two separate cases were registered following complaints of sexual abuse of two minor boys,” police sources said.
Meanwhile, officials at the children’s home said a politically motivated smear campaign was under way on social media against the institute by deliberately creating the impression that the incident happened only the other day, while it took place nearly two months ago.
“The warden was ousted since then, and the two victims have been shifted to another institute. It was the first such incident to be reported since we started functioning in 2005. We have all along complied with all regulations as required under the Juvenile Justice Act as per which the institute has been registered,” said an official with the children’s home.
The Child Welfare Committee and the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) had intervened in the matter and recorded the statements of all residents, including the two victims, of the institution. It was based on the DCPU’s report that the police registered a case.
The children’s home originally accommodated 30 boys aged between five and 17, including orphans, homeless, and those from impoverished families. However, the number has since dropped to 16 after some residents who returned home on vacation were allowed by the DCPU to stay put, if that helped them pursue their online classes in the wake of the pandemic.
