Dalit woman who accused Kerala Police of mental torture alleges CM's office ignored her petition

Bindu, a 36-year-old Dalit woman from Kerala who was allegedly subjected to mental harassment in police custody, has accused the Chief Minister’s political secretary of ignoring her plea for justice.

Bindu, a domestic worker employed in a household in Ambalamukku, Thiruvananthapuram, was summoned to the Peroorkada police station on May 13 after her employer filed a complaint alleging the theft of a gold chain. She claims she was interrogated for nearly 20 hours and subjected to mental harassment during her time in custody.

According to Bindu, a Civil Police Officer named Prasannan was the most abusive. “When I asked for water, the officer told me to drink from the bathroom,” she said.

The Thiruvananthapuram City Police Commissioner has sought an urgent report on the incident and directed the Assistant Commissioner to conduct a preliminary inquiry. Minister O.R. Kelu has also called for a police report and stated that a departmental inquiry will be launched.

Bindu has also accused the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) of indifference. She said when she approached the CMO with a complaint, she was told to take the matter to court. P. Sasi, the CM’s political secretary, allegedly took the complaint and placed it on a table without even reading it. “They told me that if the employers have filed a complaint, the police will naturally call you. There’s no use complaining here,” Bindu told a local media outlet.

In response, P. Sasi told the media that Bindu’s complaint was taken seriously and that directions were given to initiate action against the officers involved.

According to Bindu, on May 13 around 8.30 pm, police took her to her home in Panayamuttam for a search, but nothing was found. She was then taken back to the station and kept in custody until noon the next day, May 14.

Eventually, the missing gold chain was found at the complainant’s own house. The complainant informed the sub-Inspector upon arriving at the station on the afternoon of May 14. However, instead of informing Bindu, the police quietly released her with a warning not to return to the Ambalamukku-Kowdiar area, she said.

Despite the chain being recovered from the complainant’s home, the FIR filed against Bindu was not withdrawn. This prompted her to escalate the matter to the Chief Minister’s Office and the State Police Chief. The Peroorkada SI has been suspended in the case.

Bindu’s family includes her husband, a daily wage labourer, and two daughters who are studying in Classes 10 and 12. Her income from domestic work in homes and apartments in the city is the family's steady source of livelihood.

India