THIRUVANATHAPURAM: A police sub-inspector attached with Peroorkada station has been suspended for mentally harassing a dalit woman, who was taken into custody on a complaint of theft, which was later proved to be false.

S G Prasad was suspended on the basis of an adverse report filed by the Special Branch Assistant Commissioner, who had probed the incident on the instruction of the City Commissioner.

Bindu R, who hails from Panavoor near Nedumangad, was working as a house maid at Ambalamukku when she was detained by the cops on the complaint of the house owner claiming that 20 grams of gold ornament had gone missing from house.

The police detained the 39-year-old for about 20 hours where she was even denied drinking water. Her ordeal ended when the complainant found the gold, which was misplaced in her house, and conveyed it to the police.

The police withdrew the FIR against the woman, but the incident snowballed into a major controversy after the victim complained with the Police Complaints Authority, SC/ST Commission and the CM’s Office.

The Special Branch report said lapses from the police side were evident. It said the woman was kept in custody at odd hours without prior authorisation and the entire episode contravened existing legal conventions.

Meanwhile, Bindu said though she was contended with the action against the SI, another cop named Prasannan who had harassed her the most was still untouched and that she wanted action to be taken against him.