KOZHIKODE: Mr B. Namdev Shenoy, 92, of Kasargod was a Gandhian and a Sarvodaya activist. However, he had allegedly a penchant for sexually harassing girl students and was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act ( POCSO ) on November 25, 2014. Thereafter, he has been missing.
Mr Shenoy, alias ‘Badiyadka Gandhi,’ who is a drawer of freedom-fighter pension from the Kerala government, had allegedly molested the girl students of Government Bellur high school near his rented house for some time in 2014. According to the POCSO case registered by the Aadhur police in Kasargod, the nonagenarian used to invite the students to his house and harass them.
The issue came to light after three students studying in 8th and 9th classes told Childline about the matter. According to K.V. Lisha, Childline coordinator, who filed the complaint, 15 students to whom Childline spoke had admitted to being sexually harassed.
“During the Independence Day celebration in 2014, Mr Shenoy was the chief guest in the school and he invited students to his house for giving books,” she told DC.
Kasargod Superintendent of Police, A. Srinivas, confirmed that POCSO and IPC 376 (rape) were slapped on Mr Shenoy. Though police have to file the chargesheet within three months in POCSO cases, it could not be done as he is at large.
“Under POCSO Act, a potency test has to be conducted. We cannot do that as the accused is absconding,” said Aadhur SHO, A. Santhosh Kumar. Sources said that Mr Shenoy had approached the High Court pleading to quash the case.
Meanwhile, the mysterious disappearance of the Gandhian has come as a shock to many in Kerala and Karnataka. Mr K. Yeshwanth, secretary, Sarvodaya Mandalam Dakshina Kannada unit (Karnataka), said that they had tried their level best to trace him.
“We had sent a letter to Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala in January, 2015, but no reply has been received,” he lamented. The Sarvodaya office-bearers suspect foul play in the incident and are planning to file a habeas corpus plea in the High Court.
