Kerala HC Demands Report on 28 Child Deaths in Palakkad Over 13 Years

Quick Summary

• The Kerala High Court has requested a report from the Kerala State Commission for protection of Child Rights regarding the deaths of 28 children under 13 years in Palakkad district between 2010 and 2023.
• All the deceased children where found hanging under suspicious circumstances.
• A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by Fr. Augustine Vattoly, advocate P.V. Jeevesh, Salil Lal Ahamed, and othre social workers seeking a Special examination Team (SIT), led by an IPS officer with forensic expertise, to investigate these cases impartially under court supervision.
• Concerns raised in the PIL indicate that many post-mortem reports suggested anti-mortem physical and sexual abuse,pointing to homicide rather than suicide-raising suspicions that hangings may have been staged to cover up crimes.
• most deceased children belonged to impoverished or marginalized communities.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The order from Kerala High Court signifies growing legal attention toward suspected systemic failures in investigating alleged child homicides over more than a decade in Palakkad district near Tamil Nadu’s border. This case could spark broader discussions about police accountability and socio-economic vulnerabilities faced by marginalized communities if substantiated claims reveal lapses or intent behind closing cases as suicides prematurely. Further scrutiny could ensure improved protections for disadvantaged groups and uncover root causes ranging from policing inefficiencies to social neglect contributing to such tragedies.

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