Custodial torture allegation clouds probe into POCSO case at Koodal in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta

A day after the police concluded that the allegations of sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl were false, the case took a new turn when a 20-year-old accused the police of torture in custody.

The youth, who was detained during the investigation, filed a complaint with Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala alleging that he was tortured by a police team led by Koodal inspector Jayamohan. Allegedly, the police came to his house in plainclothes, forced him into a car, and interrogated him several times, despite his insistence that he did not know the girl or the other people involved in the incident.

The complainant alleged that although he informed the police that he had recently undergone heart surgery, the police ignored his pleas and assaulted him. “The police beat the soles of my feet with a cane, stepped on them with their boots, and pulled me up by my ears,” the complaint said.

The young man’s brother also claimed that the police detained him by mistake before detaining his brother.

Widespread protests

The allegations triggered widespread protests by the Communist Party of India (Marxist). [CPI(M)] and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) held a demonstration in front of Koodal police station on Monday, July 6, 2026.

Meanwhile, the police have decided to conduct a detailed investigation to clear any lingering doubts about the case. Investigators are not convinced that the girl made such serious allegations against the 10 people simply out of frustration with a romantic relationship, authorities said.

The probe has been revived

Although the Koodal police initially decided to close the case by concluding that the complaint was unfounded, the investigation was restarted after the intervention of the Regional Police Chief. Since the case falls under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO), the girl, who is currently under the care of the Child Welfare Committee, will undergo another round of counselling. The referral report will only be submitted once the investigation has been completed.

Police interrogated six people, four of whom were children, regarding the incident. In addition to the 20-year-old complainant, the parents of other young people questioned by the police also demanded an investigation into the manner in which the investigation into their children was conducted.

Police registered two FIRs in connection with the incident. Although the Koodal police attempted to close the cases, the District Police Chief instructed them not to rush and ordered the investigation to be completed before a final decision was made.