Kerala HC seeks report from crime branch on ‘suspicious’ death of 28 children in Palakkad

Kochi: High court has sought a report from the crime branch regarding the alleged suspicious deaths of 28 children in Palakkad district between 2010 and 2023.A bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice V M Syam Kumar issued the directive in a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by K Salil Lal Ahamed and four other members of the ‘Walayar Neethi Samara Samithy'. The PIL, filed in 2025, sought a court-monitored investigation into the alleged deaths, along with a direction to constitute a special investigation team headed by an IPS officer with expertise in forensic science and homicide investigations. The court adjourned the petition to March 12 for a response from the crime branch.The petitioners alleged that the suspicious deaths of 28 children under the age of 13 were reported in the border areas of Palakkad district during the said period. Most of the deceased children belonged to impoverished and marginalised communities. They contended that pathological autopsy reports, along with other materials, suggested that the deaths were either homicidal or highly suspicious, although the cases were initially closed as suicides. They further alleged that investigations were systematically stonewalled for unexplained reasons, pointing to a broader systemic failure.Previously, the court had directed the Kerala state commission for the protection of child rights to examine the alleged deaths and determine whether there was any underlying cause. However, the commission sought additional time to file its report.