SHRC orders Cuffe Parade police to explain alleged assault and illegal detention of domestic helper, Premi Priti Minj | Representational Image
Mumbai: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has directed the Cuffe Parade police to provide an explanation regarding allegations of a belt assault and illegal detention leveled against them by a domestic helper, Premi Priti Minj, a resident of Colaba. The allegations include a forceful house search, physical assault by police officers, and unlawful detention at the police station.
Acting on Minj’s complaint, the SHRC instructed the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) to submit an additional report based on its observations. It is learned that the report has now been submitted to the commission.
According to Minj’s complaint, she and her daughter were summoned to the Cuffe Parade police station, where they were assaulted by a male and a female police officer using a belt and hands in April, 2024. In support of her allegations, Minj provided treatment records from St. George’s Hospital dated April 10, 2024, along with photographs showing injuries sustained during the alleged assault.
The report submitted by the DCP sheds light on the police’s version of the incident. It reveals that on April 9, 2024, a complainant named Karim Kasim Ali Merchant approached the Cuffe Parade police station, reporting that his iPhone headphones were missing from his house. He suspected his domestic helper, Premi Priti Minj, of theft.
The police traced the missing headphones using a GPS system, which led them to Minj’s residence. During the inquiry, Minj’s daughter initially denied the theft but later confessed to having taken the headphones. The item was recovered, and Merchant chose not to press charges. This was documented in the station diary as Entry No. 22/2024.
The SHRC, however, raised serious concerns regarding the actions of the Cuffe Parade police. Despite medical documents and photographs indicating injuries, no inquiry was conducted into the cause of the injuries sustained by Minj and her daughter.
Furthermore, the police were unable to explain:
• Under what legal provision the house search was conducted.
• Why Minj and her daughter were summoned to the police station without a formal complaint being filed.
• Why they were detained at the station despite no registered offence or written application from Merchant.
The officer present admitted before the SHRC that no formal complaint was lodged by Merchant and that the injuries reflected in the medical documents were not investigated.
The SHRC noted that the lack of clarity around the police action raises serious questions about procedural lapses. The commission is expected to issue further directives after reviewing the DCP’s report.
