<p>It all started when 10 sarees went missing from the house of a retired Indian Air Force officer a month ago. <br /><br /></p>.<p>On June 15, Channappa lodged a complaint with Vidyaranyapura police alleging that his housemaid Lakshmidevi had stolen 10 sarees from his house.<br /><br />Acting on the complaint, police, on the orders of the then Vidyaranyapura police inspector D V Prasad, arrested Lakshmidevi and detained her - without filing a first information report (FIR). The maid, who cracked under interrogation, allegedly promised to lead Prasad to a house where the stolen sarees were kept, but instead gave them the slip on the way. <br /><br />Prasad subsequently summoned Lakshmidevi’s mother Narayanamma, and other members of her family to the station, where he allegedly tortured them in an effort to find out Devi’s whereabouts. <br /><br />Following allegations of human rights violation, the City Police Commissioner instituted an inquiry. Prasad was suspended on the basis of an inquiry report submitted by Nagaraj, ACP, JC Nagar, “ Ten sarees and subsequent harassment by police led Lakshmidevi to take the extreme step,” a teary eyed Pullanna said. “I would have paid for all those sarees. The police killed my wife.” <br /><br />A K Suresh, ACP, told Deccan Herald that Devi had confessed to the theft on Saturday. <br />“She also claimed that she was blackmailed by her neighbour, Lakshmi, to steal the sarees,” police said. <br /><br />Neighbour claims ignorance<br /><br />The officer revealed that police summoned the neighbour, Lakshmi, for questioning. “Lakshmi denied that she has anything to do with the case and was released,” Suresh said. <br /><br />Pullanna, however, suspected that police had forced a confession from his wife to “save their backs, as two police officers have already been suspended in the case.”<br /><br />Suresh, who recorded Lakshmidevi’s statement at Victoria Hospital said that she continued to blame Lakshmi for leading her to commit the theft. <br /><br />Pullanna, who has since spoken with his wife at Victoria Hospital, said he is unable to believe his wife’s confession that she stole the sarees.<br /></p>
<p>It all started when 10 sarees went missing from the house of a retired Indian Air Force officer a month ago. <br /><br /></p>.<p>On June 15, Channappa lodged a complaint with Vidyaranyapura police alleging that his housemaid Lakshmidevi had stolen 10 sarees from his house.<br /><br />Acting on the complaint, police, on the orders of the then Vidyaranyapura police inspector D V Prasad, arrested Lakshmidevi and detained her - without filing a first information report (FIR). The maid, who cracked under interrogation, allegedly promised to lead Prasad to a house where the stolen sarees were kept, but instead gave them the slip on the way. <br /><br />Prasad subsequently summoned Lakshmidevi’s mother Narayanamma, and other members of her family to the station, where he allegedly tortured them in an effort to find out Devi’s whereabouts. <br /><br />Following allegations of human rights violation, the City Police Commissioner instituted an inquiry. Prasad was suspended on the basis of an inquiry report submitted by Nagaraj, ACP, JC Nagar, “ Ten sarees and subsequent harassment by police led Lakshmidevi to take the extreme step,” a teary eyed Pullanna said. “I would have paid for all those sarees. The police killed my wife.” <br /><br />A K Suresh, ACP, told Deccan Herald that Devi had confessed to the theft on Saturday. <br />“She also claimed that she was blackmailed by her neighbour, Lakshmi, to steal the sarees,” police said. <br /><br />Neighbour claims ignorance<br /><br />The officer revealed that police summoned the neighbour, Lakshmi, for questioning. “Lakshmi denied that she has anything to do with the case and was released,” Suresh said. <br /><br />Pullanna, however, suspected that police had forced a confession from his wife to “save their backs, as two police officers have already been suspended in the case.”<br /><br />Suresh, who recorded Lakshmidevi’s statement at Victoria Hospital said that she continued to blame Lakshmi for leading her to commit the theft. <br /><br />Pullanna, who has since spoken with his wife at Victoria Hospital, said he is unable to believe his wife’s confession that she stole the sarees.<br /></p>
