Kerala: Dalit woman, falsely accused of theft, pleads for justice; alleges police torture

After serious allegations of torture in custody, the victim has now approached the Human Rights Commission and sought compensation from the government.
Published on: Sep 16, 2025, 1:33 pm
Thiruvananthapuram: A Dalit woman, who was allegedly subjected to “mental harassment” by the police in a false theft case, approached the State Human Rights Commission on Monday, pleading for justice and seeking compensation from the state government.
The victim, R. Bindu, made this demand during a hearing before Commission Chairman Justice Alexander Thomas. Taking Bindu’s demand seriously, the Commission decided to name the state Home Secretary, the state and district police chiefs as official respondents in the case. In addition, the two police officers accused in the case have been named as competing respondents.
The Commission has directed all of them to examine the request of the point and file a written reply in this regard.
This case came to light when Bindu, a domestic worker, leveled serious allegations against the police. The owner of the house where she worked had filed a complaint against Bindu, accusing her of stealing a gold chain, which was later proven false.
Bindu had alleged that she had suffered severe mental torture and harassment while in custody at the Perukada police station in April this year . The woman’s claims sparked outrage across the state, stating that she was held at the station for an entire night without food, water, or sleep, and that she was even forced by police to drink toilet water.
Based on an internal inquiry conducted following these allegations, the accused policemen were suspended from service.
Meanwhile, Bindu’s life has also taken a positive turn. On Monday, she started working as a peon at a private school in Vithura. The school management learned of her plight through the media and offered her the job as a helping hand.