The Kerala High Court on Tuesday directed the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights to submit a report on a plea demanding a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the alleged “suspicious deaths” of 28 children in Palakkad district between 2010 and 2023.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji sought the commission’s report by October 7, when the matter will be heard next.
The petition, filed jointly by several social activists including the vicar of St Augustine Syro-Malabar Church, alleged that the 28 children — all belonging to impoverished and marginalised communities in Palakkad’s border areas — died under mysterious circumstances, often reported as suicides by hanging.
The plea claimed that the investigations into these cases were deliberately obstructed and that the police closed them summarily as suicides without deeper inquiry.
“The deceased children belong to the most impoverished and marginalised sections of society. The victims, due to their lack of education and ignorance of their legal rights, were unable to challenge the conclusions of the police and seek justice,” the petition, filed through advocate P.V. Jeevesh, stated.
The petitioners urged the court to direct the state government and police to constitute a Special Investigation Team to probe the deaths, with judicial oversight to ensure fairness. They alleged that the cases were not only mishandled but raised grave suspicions of foul play that warranted independent investigation.
Taking note of the seriousness of the allegations, the High Court has asked the child rights commission to study the matter and provide its findings. The case will now be taken up for further hearing on October 7.
