She said, accompanied by her lawyer, she approached the CMO seeking intervention. However, she allegedly faced neglect and insult there as well.
Published May 19, 2025 | 2:07 PM ⚊ Updated May 19, 2025 | 8:11 PM
R Bindu. (Screnngrab)
Synopsis: A Dalit woman in Thiruvananthapuram who alleged that police subjected her to mental torture and humiliation in custody said she faced a similar experience from the CMO as well.
What began as a case of alleged police harassment against a Dalit woman in the Kerala capital, Thiruvananthapuram, has now snowballed into a larger human rights and political issue, with serious questions being raised about the handling of the matter by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) as well.
R Bindu (39), a domestic worker and resident of Panavoor in Thiruvananthapuram, came forward with fresh revelations about the severe mental torture she faced in police custody and the humiliating experience she had while seeking justice from the CMO.
The issue took a political turn on Monday, 19 May, when Bindu revealed the ordeal at the CMO.
She said, accompanied by her lawyer, she approached the CMO seeking intervention. However, she allegedly faced neglect and insult there as well.
“We went to the CM’s office with my complaint. An official, whom my lawyer said was P Sasi (the chief minister’s political secretary), took the complaint, put it aside without even reading it, and told us, ‘If a necklace is lost, a complaint will be filed and the police will act. That’s natural. You could say your versions in the court,” Bindu alleged.
Bindu was taken into custody by the Peroorkada police on the evening of 23 April following a complaint by a family she worked for in Ambalamukku, accusing her of stealing a gold necklace worth 18 sovereigns.
Bindu, who was on her way home after work in Ambalamukku, was summoned to the police station, where she claims to have faced relentless harassment for 20 hours. Denied water and prevented from informing her family, Bindu said she was threatened with the arrest of her daughters if she did not confess.
In a cruel turn of events, the supposedly missing necklace was later found in the complainant’s house itself. However, the police reportedly neither informed Bindu nor cancelled the FIR against her immediately.
“I was told to leave the station only after the complainant spoke to the Sub-Inspector (SI). The officer told me not to be seen in Ambalamukku or Kowdiar anymore. It was only outside the station that my husband told me that the necklace was found in their house itself. The police were whispering about it,” Bindu told reporters.
Meanwhile, Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner’s office said that the officer has sought a report from the Cantonment Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP). In addition to that, the SI in question, Prasad SG, has been suspended pending inquiry.
Detailed statements of police personnel who were at the Peroorkada Police Station on the alleged days will be recorded, and, if needed, further action will be initiated against them. At the same time, the Peroorkada police denied allegations of harassment and stated that proper procedures were followed.
Inspector General and Commissioner of Police, Thiruvananthapuram City, Thomson Jose, has suspended a Sub Inspector Prasad SG attached to the Peroorkada Police Station over serious lapses in the investigation of a theft case.
The action follows an enquiry conducted by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, District Special Branch.
The officer was found to have grossly violated procedural norms, causing distress to an accused and tarnishing the image of the police force.
The enquiry looked into allegations concerning the police investigation in a case (Crime Number 571/2025) registered under Section 306 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, in connection with the theft of gold ornaments weighing 18 grams.
The enquiry report revealed that the Investigation Officer, Prasad SG, failed to adhere to procedural formalities after receiving the complaint.
Critically, the survivor, who had been named as the accused in the case, was reportedly taken into custody without conducting a preliminary enquiry or following mandatory procedural safeguards.
“The action of the Sub Inspector is unbecoming of a police officer and has tarnished the image of the police force among the public, causing mental agony to the victim. This amounts to gross indiscipline and abuse of power,” read the official order.
Consequently, Sub Inspector Prasad SG was suspended with immediate effect.
An oral enquiry has also been initiated against the officer, with the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Shangumugham, appointed as the Enquiry Officer.
The Enquiry Officer has been directed to serve the Memorandum of Charges within 15 days and complete the enquiry within two months.
The suspended officer will be eligible for subsistence allowance as per Rule 55, Part I of the Kerala Service Rules during the suspension period.
The ordeal took a heavier toll on Bindu, a Dalit woman from a poor family. She says she was made to feel like a criminal because of her caste.
“The way they spoke to me and behaved made me feel that my caste was the problem — for both the police and the family that complained. I even thought of ending my life, but the face of my children stopped me,” she said, breaking down on one of the news channels that sought her response.
Bindu’s family, including her husband, a wage labourer, and two school-going children, has been deeply affected by the trauma of the incident.
She said the Scheduled Castes (SC) Commission and the Director General of Police (DGP) responded to her complaints with assurances, but the cold response from the CMO has triggered outrage from Dalit rights activists and Opposition parties.
Human rights groups and Dalit organisations have condemned the police action and the alleged apathy of the CMO.
Leader of the Opposition in Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan, had earlier called for a departmental inquiry and strict legal action against the officers involved. Satheesan criticised the state government and the Home Department for their silence, stating that the excessive politicisation of the police force has emboldened officers to commit such abuses with impunity.
“This is not an isolated incident. Who gave these officers the right to illegally detain and mentally torture an innocent woman?” he asked.
However, Sasi told the media that Bindu had visited his office and that her case was taken seriously. He said that upon receiving her complaint, he directed the police to investigate the matter and take appropriate action.
Sasi said Bindu insisted that a case be registered against the woman who had filed the theft complaint against her. “I said that legal action should be taken if a proper complaint is filed or if the court is approached,” Sasi clarified.
He added that disciplinary action has already been initiated against the police officer involved and a probe is underway.
Meanwhile, Bindu welcomed the action against the officer but demanded that strict action also be taken against another officer, Prasannan, alleging that he verbally abused her and asked her to drink water from the washroom when she requested drinking water. Bindu also reiterated her demand for action against the complainant who accused her of theft which she didn’t commit.
The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has directed a senior police officer from outside Thiruvananthapuram to investigate the alleged mental torture of a Dalit domestic worker by the police.
Commission Chairperson Justice Alexander Thomas ordered the Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner to consult the South Zone Inspector General and appoint a Deputy Superintendent of Police or Assistant Commissioner for the investigation.
The survivor’s statement, the commission stated, must be recorded in the presence of a woman lawyer appointed by the District Legal Services Authority.
The commission also directed officials to verify CCTV footage, the police station’s general diary, and FIR details to assess the duration of the woman’s detention.
It further instructed officials to examine potential offences under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and to submit a detailed report within a month.
The case is scheduled to be reviewed on 3 July.
Meanwhile, the Congress party has extended full support to Bindu. KPCC President Sunny Joseph visited Bindu at her residence and assured her of the party’s solidarity in her fight for justice.
Addressing the media, Sunny Joseph lashed out at the Chief Minister’s Office for ignoring Bindu’s plea when she approached them.
“The Chief Minister’s Political Secretary didn’t even care to read the complaint. Instead of standing with the victim, the police fabricated charges and hurled abuses at Bindu and her children. Even after the stolen necklace was recovered, she was illegally detained and mentally tortured,” he alleged, demanding that the police file a final report clearing her name.
Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan also slammed the government, stating:
“When Pinarayi Vijayan doubles as Home Minister, is it justice to detain a poor woman overnight and ask her to have water from the toilet? The CMO humiliated her again when she sought help. If it had been a party worker, the response would have been entirely different.”
The incident, which occurred a month ago, gained attention only recently, prompting action against the concerned police officer.
The Congress leaders alleged that the government’s indifference was because it was preoccupied with its anniversary celebrations.
Both Sunny Joseph and Satheesan termed the episode a glaring example of police excesses under political patronage and pledged to continue supporting Bindu’s legal battle.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Dileep V Kumar.)
