Dalit woman demands compensation from Kerala govt over 'mental torture' at police station

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 15 (PTI) A Dalit woman who recently suffered "mental harassment" at a police station over an alleged fake theft case approached the state Human Rights Commission on Monday to demand compensation from the state government.

The woman, R Bindhu, demanded compensation when Commission chairperson Justice Alexander Thomas considered the case during the sitting.

In view of the demand of the victim, the panel decided to name the state home secretary and state and district police chiefs as official respondents and the two accused police personnel in the case as contesting respondents.

The Commission asked them to examine Bindhu's request and submit a written response in this regard, an official statement said here.

Bindhu, a domestic help, recently made serious allegations against the police, citing a theft case registered against her that was later proven to be false.

She had alleged that she had to suffer acute mental torture and harassment in the custody of police in Peroorkada station here in April after the owner of the house, where she was working, lodged a complaint that she had stolen their gold chain.

The woman's claims of being detained overnight at the police station without food or sleep and being asked to drink toilet water by police personnel recently sparked widespread outrage.

The accused police personnel had been suspended from service following an internal inquiry.

Meanwhile, Bindhu, on Monday, joined as a peon in a private school in Vithura, as the management offered the job after knowing about the incident through the media. PTI LGK KH