Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 13 (BPNS)
An officer with the Kerala Police, A.J. Babu is absconding after he was charged by the SC/ST commission in a case related to him abusing a Scheduled Tribe girl who is a Protection of Children From Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, victim.
The 17-year-old Scheduled Tribe girl from Wayanad district was lodged in a Children’s home and during counseling at the home in July 2022, she narrated the ordeal she faced at the hands of A.J. Babu who is an Additional Sub Inspector of Police in Wayanad.
According to the 17-year-old POCSO victim, she was taken to Ooty by the police as part of the investigation into her sexual abuse case and the said police inspector had physically abused her and also used sexual expletives against her.
The girl also complained that her photograph was also taken without her consent. The woman police officer and another police officer who was accompanying them had gone out of the vehicle when the police officer had made advances toward her.
Social activist, P.E. Usha, while speaking to BPNS said, “There should be stringent action. However even after the incident occurred in July, the police have not taken any case against him until the news came out in the media. Police is taking a stand that the officer is absconding. He will now try to get an anticipatory bail and the police are providing all support to him. Women, downtrodden, and the poor are now fearing to go to police stations as it is turning into a place where they don’t get justice.”
She said that the police officer would not have had the guts to make advances on the girl if she was accompanied by her relatives. The social activist said that the girl was already vulnerable and this abuse on the part of a police officer has made her mentally traumatic.
It may be noted that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who is in charge of the home department has been time and again stating that stringent action would be taken against erring police officers.
However, on Sunday morning another police officer, P.R. Sunu, who is the Station House Officer at the Coastal Police station in Kozhikode was arrested on charges of gang rape. According to the police, this officer had served a jail term in another similar case of abusing a BTech engineering graduate under the pretext of marrying her.
