Thiruvananthapuram: It's been more than a month since she went through a horrifying night at the Peroorkada police station. Bindu R, the Dalit woman, was falsely accused of theft. It was alleged that she stole a gold ornament from the house where she worked as a house help.
At the station, she was deprived of sleep, food and water. The cops allegedly tried to squeeze out a confession from her. When the ordeal came to light, two officers were suspended. Peroorkada Police have filed cases against the employer Omana Daniel, her daughter Nisha, Peroorkada Sub-Inspector Prasad SG and Grade ASI Prasanna Kumar.

Bindu struggles to shake off the trauma that haunts her. She has stopped working. Bindu knows her meagre income meant a lot to her family. These days, she keeps to herself. "I’m scared to go to work now. What if every household starts blaming me for their missing bangles or necklaces? I’ve stopped going out as I used to. Now, I only go to crowded places. I avoid narrow roads and quiet lanes. I’m always afraid," said Bindu.

She was detained for 20 hours at the police station. While the cops faced disciplinary action and have been arraigned as accused, Bindu knows her fight is far from over. "They must be arrested and brought before the law. They should experience the suffering I went through that night," she said.

Her husband, Pradeep G (39), who works as a daily wage labourer, echoed her concerns. "We are afraid. People have warned us to stay cautious because we took a stand against the police. But what about them? Omana Daniel and the police publicly humiliated and harassed us. Now, they should be brought before the media and held accountable. Even if they apologise, we won’t forgive them. They destroyed the peaceful life of our family," he said.

Bindu had taken up domestic work to support the family while her husband struggled to make ends meet. She saved every rupee so that their daughters could continue their studies. "I can’t have her return to house help jobs anymore,” Pradeep said. "We’ve even informed the authorities to provide her a job that matches her educational qualifications".

The family feels the pinch with one source of income being stalled. "There are difficulties. We have a home loan with pending repayments. Sometimes, women’s groups help us by providing rice and other essentials. Since we frequently have to attend to legal matters, I am unable to work regularly. I take up any job I get, but it’s hard on the days we have to appear for case-related proceedings," Pradeep said.

The couple is also concerned about their daughters’ future. Their elder daughter, who completed Class 12, has applied to several colleges. "I am concerned about sending them far away for higher education," Bindu added. Onmanorama reached out to Nisha, the second accused in the case, who declined to comment, stating that she would speak only after the investigation concludes. A probe report by Pathanamthitta DySP Vidyadharan, who was directed to investigate the allegations of police torture, is expected to be submitted this week.