Police Counselling Failures Put Victims at Risk

Hyderabad: “I do not want to live with him anymore; he has psycho tendencies,” cried Nanditha (name changed), her voice echoing through a Telangana police-run counselling room in the Hyderabad commissionerate. Her plea, filled with fear and exhaustion, went unheard by those who insisted she “make the marriage work.”

For 11 years, Nanditha endured domestic violence, convinced by her family to stay and adjust. It was only after her husband allegedly tried to smother her that she gathered the courage to leave. “I took care of his mother when she had cancer, even when I was bleeding and shivering, only to end up fearing for my life,” she said, breaking down before the counsellor, hoping not to be sent back to the man she feared.

Instead of being directed to legal aid or professional therapy, Nanditha was handed a piece of paper to write her “decision” or told to attend another session—one that would pressure her into compromise.

Her story mirrors a deeper, systemic failure in handling domestic violence. Across Telangana, hundreds of women caught in abusive marriages are subjected to routine police “counselling” that prioritises reconciliation over safety. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Telangana recorded 10,518 cases of cruelty by husbands and in-laws in 2023—the highest in India. Disturbingly, 9,526 of these cases were marked as “compromised.”

Many such compromises have ended in tragedy. In September, 28-year-old Polla Bhavani from Saroornagar died by suicide after police counselled her and her husband, who had begun living with another woman. In December 2024, a Malkajgiri woman was beaten to death by her husband over dowry demands—after five rounds of police counselling. In August this year, 21-year-old Swathi, who was five months pregnant, was murdered and dismembered by her husband despite having earlier filed a complaint. Police had counselled her and sent her back.

When Deccan Chronicle visited police counselling centres, it found that most lacked qualified mental health professionals. Instead, regular police officers, often untrained in psychological handling, acted as counsellors. “I tell them to think about their children before doing anything drastic. If they act immaturely, I advise them to behave and later hand them over to their family,” said a woman sub-inspector—highlighting a system that mistakes persuasion for psychological support.

Earlier this week, a traffic home guard attempted suicide near Hussainsagar over marital issues. He was rescued, given first aid, and then sent back to his police station after being “counselled,” revealing how even internal mechanisms fail to offer meaningful intervention.

Psychiatrist Dr Sona Thakkar of Columbia Hospital described such practices as “layman’s counselling.” “Police treat it like patching up a quarrel, ignoring deep-rooted trauma. Violence is not an incident — it’s a continuing threat that rewires the victim’s body and mind. Without safety and therapy, counselling can do more harm than good,” she said.

Dr Thakkar emphasised that real counselling must begin with safety — removing victims from abusive spaces, ensuring psychological treatment and conducting regular follow-ups. “Unless there’s a proven behavioural change in the abuser, sending victims back is dangerous,” she warned.

High Court advocate Yashasri Vasudeva Tadiboina said the issue is rooted in the police’s fear of administrative “black marks.” “An acquittal is seen as a failure, so officers prefer showing resolution through counselling instead of registering a case,” she said. Experts have also criticised police for posting pictures of suicide victims on social media, calling it unethical and traumatising. “It violates dignity and erodes public trust in law enforcement,” Dr Thakkar noted.

Mental health experts and activists are now urging a trauma-informed system of counselling, led by trained professionals and backed by performance audits, victim-safety protocols and long-term rehabilitation plans. “Without these reforms,” Dr Thakkar said, “police counselling will remain a paper ritual — a compromise that traps victims instead of protecting them.”

GFX: Deaths despite police counseling

• Swathi alias Jyothi (2025): Pregnant woman murdered by husband after filing domestic violence complaint; police counselled, village elders mediated a compromise.

• Polla Bhavani (2025): Died by suicide in Saroornagar after police counselling; husband was living with another woman.

• Malkajgiri woman (2024): Beaten to death by husband over dowry; five police counselling sessions failed to prevent her death.

• K. Sravan Kumar (2025): Died by suicide in Karimnagar; accused wife, in-laws, and a woman police inspector of harassment.