Kerala Dalit Woman Faces Custodial Harassment, Detained For 20 hrs On False Theft Complaint
Victim accuses CMO of inaction on her complaint; Bindu, 39, a resident of Nedumangad was taken into custody on April 23 on accusations of stealing a gold necklace from the home where she worked as a maid
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala police on Monday suspended a police officer for the alleged custodial harassment of a Dalit woman at a police station here.
Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner Thomson Jose suspended Peroorkada SI Prasad S G, after receiving the preliminary probe report from the city special branch.
The woman, Bindu, 39, a resident of Nedumangad was taken into custody on April 23 on accusations of stealing a gold necklace from the home where she worked as a maid. The sub-inspector and his team ignored her claims of innocence and plea to release. They allegedly used coercive measures against her.
Bindu alleged that she did not get justice from the Chief Minister’s office. She, along with a lawyer, submitted a complaint to the Chief Minister’s political secretary, P. Sasi. However, he didn’t even take a look at the petition and told her to approach the court with a caution that the police might act against her at any time, she alleged. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan holds the home portfolio in Kerala.
Sasi, however, denied the allegation, saying that he had received the petition and forwarded it for further action. Notwithstanding his claims, the administration swung into action only on Monday after regional news channels aired Bindu’s interview prominently. The police top brass was forced to act after 26 days.
The complaint was filed by Omana Daniel from Ambalamukku regarding the loss of jewelry. Although there is a law prohibiting the summoning of women to police stations for questioning at night, the Peroorkada police disregarded this regulation and treated Bindu harshly. She was subjected to a brutal, 20-hour interrogation without even being given water to drink. One of the cops asked her to drink water from the toilet tap, Bindu alleged.
The police even threatened her with implicating her daughters in the case if she did not confess to the theft. The following day, Bindu was released after the missing gold necklace was found in the house.
The preliminary probe revealed serious lapses in how the police handled the case. They failed to undertake basic actions that are required after receiving a complaint.
The cops acted without appropriately investigating Bindu's background. She had no prior criminal record and had only worked for three days in the complainant's home. Additionally, the police did not inform Bindu's family about her detention and did not allow her to answer phone calls from her children. The incident reflected a serious violation of rights as there was no justifiable reason for her detention at the police station.
The complaint had later informed that the necklace was found the next morning in the corner of the house, yet this information was not communicated to Bindu. Only after her relatives arrived around 11 am were the police willing to release her from custody.