A 16-year-old daughter sent her 43-year-old father to jail on false sexual abuse charges at the behest of her boyfriend and his mother, simply because he objected to her relationship and late-night phone calls.
Saji Kuttappan, a tribal daily labourer from Idukki, Kerala, lived with his wife and two children. The minor girl met a boy on Instagram, started a romantic relationship and began frequent phone and video calls. When her father discovered the calls, he questioned her and asked her to focus on her studies. Angered by his advice, she told her boyfriend and his mother of his opposition. The boyfriend’s mother then suggested she file a sexual abuse complaint against her father with the child helpline, which she did.
In September 2024, police registered a POCSO case against Saji Kuttappan based on her statement and sent him to prison, where he remained for 18 months. During his imprisonment, his wife and son faced extreme financial and social hardship. His younger son was forced to drop out of school due to local stigma and ridicule.
While Saji was in jail, his minor daughter invited her boyfriend home at night. They were caught in a physical relationship by her mother and brother. Neighbours called the police, and a separate POCSO case was registered against the boyfriend, who was later acquitted after the girl testified in his favour.
Throughout, Saji’s wife and younger son stood by him. Their support proved crucial in establishing his innocence. He spent over 18 months in prison because the complainant was his own daughter, and the courts were cautious about possible witness influence or evidence tampering.
After examining 16 witnesses and 20 documents, the Fast Track Court in Idukki acquitted Saji Kuttappan on 16 August 2026, ending his long ordeal of wrongful imprisonment on a fabricated POCSO case filed by his own daughter.
The girl is now a major and lives with her boyfriend. Saji says he holds no grudges against her and only wants her to live well. He is focused on rebuilding his life with his wife and son.
The girl not only destroyed her father’s life but also her younger brother’s. After dropping out of school due to ridicule and pity, the young boy now spends most of his time at home in their unfinished house, drawing pictures.
I hope that with time and age, she realises the depth of the evil she committed and one day seeks forgiveness from her family.