A sub-inspector stationed at the Peroorkada police station in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, was suspended on Monday, May 19, following a Dalit woman accusing him of illegally detaining, harassing and denial of basic rights after she was wrongly held for stealing a gold chain by her employers.
The 39-year-old woman, Bindu R, who is a domestic helper, said she was held for nearly 20 hours without food, rest, or access to her family. She was questioned until 3 am, and her husband was not allowed to meet her, The News Minute reported.
Her employers accused Bindu of stealing a 2.5 sovereign gold chain. However, the jewellery was later found in the house, and Bindu insists she was not informed.
She filed complaints with Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the SC/ST Commission, and the Kerala State Police Complaints Authority, accusing the sub-inspector, Prasad, of humiliating and mistreating her in custody.
“The police said there was a complaint against me. At the station, the house owner and her daughter, whom I had worked with before, were already present. They accused me outright of stealing the gold chain,” her complaint read.
It is learnt that the family withdrew their complaint against the Dalit woman and claimed they were “forgiving” her because she had two daughters.
“Instead of apologising, they humiliated me. The house owner said they were ‘forgiving’ me because I have two daughters. It was only later that my husband learned from a police officer that the gold had been recovered,” Bindu’s complaint read.
Following Bindu’s allegations, an inquiry was set up, which revealed that the Peroorkada police SI did not conduct a proper investigation and arrested her, violating provisions of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which prohibits the arrest or custodial detention of women after sunset and before sunrise.
During her arrest, no woman police officer was present, another violation. The law states police can only arrest a woman during prohibited hours if a woman officer obtains prior written permission from the jurisdictional magistrate. Moreover, the police should mandatorily submit to the court in writing what exceptional circumstances warranted the arrest or detention at the police station during untimely hours.
As for Bindu, she has stopped going to work after the traumatic experience. She says life has become difficult after her neighbourhood and relatives came to know about her arrest.
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