The Kerala High Court has directed the CBI to take over the investigation into the deaths of 23 children in Kollengode, Palakkad, citing irregularities in the probe conducted so far.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M passed the order on Thursday while considering a public interest litigation concerning the unnatural deaths of children. 

The court examined a status report submitted by the Crime Branch and observed that it disclosed various irregularities in the investigation. Accordingly, the Bench ordered the Crime Branch to hand over the case to the CBI along with all connected records, including the autopsy report.

The Bench also sought a response from the CBI regarding the 23 cases involving children referred to in a statement of facts filed by the State and affirmed by Palakkad District Police Chief Ajit Kumar, IPS. The agency has been permitted to seek further information from the State Police Administration and the District Police Chief before filing its report.

The court noted that despite an earlier direction issued on February 19, 2026, requiring the CBI to apprise it of the status of certain cases, no report had yet been filed by the agency.

In a related development, the court considered an affidavit filed by the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KeLSA) proposing a series of measures aimed at strengthening child protection mechanisms and preventing similar incidents. These include legal awareness programmes, coordination with child welfare agencies, counselling initiatives, promotion of child helplines, and community-based child protection efforts.

The Bench directed all District Legal Services Authorities and Taluk Legal Services Committees to implement the proposed measures and submit monthly compliance reports to KeLSA. The Member Secretary of KeLSA was directed to ensure strict compliance with the Court's directions.

The matter has been posted for further consideration on August 6, 2026.