A POCSO court in Thiruvananthapuram has rejected the bail pleas of three caretakers of the state Child Welfare Committee (CWC), who were arrested for allegedly abusing a two-and-half-year-old inmate.

The child, orphaned after her parents' deaths, was living under the CWC's protection. The accused reportedly inflicted serious injuries to the child's vaginal area, allegedly as punishment for bedwetting.

The injuries were discovered during a medical examination, prompting the Museum Police to arrest the three caretakers—Ajitha S K, Maheswari L, and Sindhu. The prosecution revealed that the girl, who also has a one-year-old sibling, was traumatised after witnessing her father’s death and was struggling to cope emotionally.

Special Public Prosecutor Kattayikonam J K Ajith Prasad argued that the injuries inflicted on the child, including to her private parts, constituted a heinous crime.

The prosecution emphasised that the accused, as caretakers employed under the CWC, were entrusted with the care and protection of the child, making their actions particularly grievous.

The POCSO court judge M P Shibu accepted the prosecution’s argument that the accused were undeserving of any leniency and dismissed their bail pleas.