Assam Police woman official booked for torturing domestic help

Guwahati : A criminal complaint was filed against a woman Assam Police official on Sunday for allegedly abusing and imprisoning her domestic help for several days at her home and pouring boiling water on her.

The accused was identified as Subhalakshmi Dutta, a sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) posted in Sivasagar district.

Anima Praja, a victim from the Nazira area of the district, filed an FIR against Dutta on Saturday for allegedly imprisoning and torturing her for several days.

Praja said in the FIR that the cop had locked her in the police quarters restroom and poured boiling water on her.

"Dutta has been abusing me for a few days and has intimidated me into keeping quiet. She is a high-ranking police officer, and I lacked the nerve to challenge her. But now, things have gone too far, and I think they'll only become worse if I don't stand up for my own safety," she added.

While Sivasgar's Superintendent of Police Subhrajyoti Bora told the media that they will check to see if any complaints of this nature had been made, Director General of Police Gyanendra Pratap Singh announced on Sunday night through a social media post that SDPO Subhalakshmi Dutta was the subject of a criminal investigation.

"Reference reported incident of assault of house maid at Nazira by a serving police officer. A criminal case has been registered at Nazira and being investigated. Assam Police headquarter has ordered an enquiry into the allegation levelled."

According to police reports, Anima Praja's body had visible signs of exterior injuries during the initial inquiry. An official said: "She has undergone medical examinations, and once the reports are in, we will submit it to the authorities."