The Thiruvananthapuram Fast Track Special Court on Thursday acquitted a 60-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting an aurally challenged boy at a school hostel here eight years ago.
Special Judge R. Jayakrishnan acquitted Premachandran Nair from Mudavanmugal who was arrested by the Museum police under charges of sexually assaulting a resident of the hostel of the Government School for Deaf and Dumb, Jagathy, for three days in June 2013. The police had booked him under Section 10 (aggravated sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Prosecution charge
During the trial, the prosecution, led by special public prosecutor Vijay Mohan R.S., had maintained that the accused, a cook in the hostel, barged into the room of the Class VI student and sexually assaulted him. The child, who was also allegedly threatened, was later reported to be sick. While he was being taken home, the boy revealed the alleged incident to his parents. When they went the Principal’s office to raise a complaint, the boy purportedly identified the accused when he came in to sign the attendance register.
V. Bhuvanendran Nair, counsel for Mr. Nair, submitted that the accused had been framed for having raised corruption charges against Shaji, a matron, and Sam John, a teacher, in the school. They had allegedly influenced the boy and his family to move against Mr. Nair.
‘Unbelievable’
Noting contradictions in the versions of the witnesses in the case, the court observed that the boy had been accommodated in a room with five other students. There were matrons and wardens too. The prosecution failed to prove that other residents had witnessed the incident.
Besides, the court also found unbelievable a matron’s testimony that he helped the aurally challenged child speak to his father over telephone. The investigation officer also admitted that he had not scrutinised the attendance register in the school. This discredited the oral testimony of the school Principal and matrons that they were present at the hostel on the days concerned.
