Despite five days having passed since the case was registered, the police have yet to arrest the accused couple, nor has a prestigious institute like IIM Bangalore taken any strict action against its professor despite such serious allegations.
Bengaluru – The Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B) is once again embroiled in a deep controversy. In 2024, a case was filed at the Mico Layout police station against the then Director of IIM Bangalore and seven other professors for caste discrimination against a Dalit professor, which is currently pending in the High Court. Now, a 23-year-old tribal woman from Churachandpur, Manipur, who worked as a maid in the house of another professor at the same institute, has leveled extremely serious allegations of harassment against him.
In her report filed at the Mico Layout police station, the young woman stated that IIM-B professor Amar Sapra and his wife Anshu Sapra kept her hungry and thirsty, denied her adequate food, and subjected her to inhumane torture when she was unable to work due to illness. Despite more than five days having passed since the case was filed, the police have yet to arrest the accused couple, nor has the prestigious institution of IIM Bangalore taken any strict action against its professor despite such serious allegations.
Amar Sapra is a faculty member in the Production and Operations Management Department at IIMB, and his wife Anshu runs a nursery school franchise on campus. The FIR lists the location of the incident as IIMB Campus, Bilekahalli.
The case involves Naina (name changed), a resident of Churachandpur district in Manipur, who came to Bengaluru in 2019 through a placement agency to work as a babysitter for Professor Amar Sapra’s family. Initially, everything was normal, but gradually the atmosphere at home changed, and the campus became nothing less than a torture chamber for Naina. From 2021 onwards, the professor and his wife’s behavior deteriorated. She was forced to work from 6:30 AM until after midnight. When she fell ill, she was given no medicine or rest; she was pressured to continue working. Her mobile phone was taken away, she was forbidden from talking to her family, and she was not even allowed to leave the campus.
Speaking to The Mooknayak, Naina explained that Professor Amar Sapra’s wife, Anshu, was even more brutal than his. Anshu would pull her hair, repeatedly hit her, and even slap her while she was talking to others. According to the FIR, on April 15th, at around 2:30 AM, Anshu pulled Naina’s hair and hit her several times. Naina said, “I didn’t tell anyone out of fear. They would check my phone messages and turn it off to prevent me from going out.” She last visited her home last year after her father’s death, and since then, she hasn’t been able to see her family.
On May 4th, the abuse reached its peak when she suffered kidney stone pain, but instead of giving her medicine, the couple locked her in a room, starving her. Naina said she experienced severe pain due to the kidney stone. When she told Anshu, he accused her of “acting” and “creating drama.” At the time, she was on the phone with her mother. Naina said, “Anshu took my phone, my cousin called, and I asked her to speak to Madam. I don’t know what they discussed. After that, Anshu kept accusing me of lying.”
Successfully saving her life, she reached the house of a professor living in the neighborhood and asked for help. Seeing Naina’s condition, he fed her, gave her shelter, and allowed her to use his phone. Naina informed her family, and in turn, informed the Kuki Students’ Organization Bangalore (KSOB). The next morning, with the help of KSOB, a complaint was filed at the Mico Layout police station. The police coordinated with the IIM-B administration, held a meeting with the institute’s board of directors, and Naina was safely evacuated. Her outstanding wages were also paid in full.
After the FIR was filed on May 6, social activists and community leaders raised serious questions about the police’s actions. The police only registered the case under Section 115(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), i.e., voluntarily causing hurt, and Section 127(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), i.e., wrongful confinement.
Naina reported that she was also cheated in her wages. Her contract was for ₹18,000 per month, but in April, she was paid only ₹10,000, citing that she had not worked enough days. A further ₹5,000 was claimed to have been paid to a placement agency. When Naina contacted the agency, they denied any responsibility. KSOB President Seilalmuon Haokip revealed that the agency had been quietly collecting fees from employers without Naina’s knowledge.
After the FIR was filed on May 6, social activists and community leaders raised serious questions about the police’s actions. The police registered the case only under Section 115(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), meaning voluntarily causing hurt, and Section 127(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). Sections related to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act (SC/ST) and harassment of women were deliberately omitted. Social organizations allege that this was not an oversight but a deliberate attempt to shield the accused from strict legal action.
Police summoned the victim for spot verification
On Sunday, KSOB President Haokip and Naina again went to the police station. The police informed them that a notice had been issued to the accused and that if they failed to cooperate after two notices within 10 to 15 days, they would be arrested. They also stated that a spot verification would be held on May 11th at 2 pm on the campus.
Naina, the eldest of three siblings, is the sole earning member of her family and bears the responsibility of supporting her mother and younger siblings.
Naina, weeping, says, “I studied until 10th grade but couldn’t take my final exams, so I don’t have a secondary certificate. I don’t know what I’ll do if I return home. I have to take care of my family, so I want to stay in Bangalore and find a good home where I can work without fear or torture.”
Haokip said that no NGO or welfare organization has come forward to help Naina find another job. KSOB, which filed an FIR on her behalf and is providing assistance, has no dedicated funding. He said, “She’s still undecided about what to do. We told her that if she needs more help, we’ll do our best to help her, even though KSOB has no funding or source of income.” Naina is currently sheltering at a relative’s home and has a return ticket to Churachandpur on May 13th. The Kuki Students’ Association says that if Naina goes back, the accused in this case will have a chance to escape.
The Mooknayak emailed IIM-B Acting Director, Professor U. Dinesh Kumar, regarding internal action against the accused professor, Amar Sapra, but received no response. The Mooknayak also emailed Professors Amar Sapra and Anshu Sapra, but neither provided any clarification or explanation. In a statement to an English newspaper, the IIM-B administration stated that the institute provided the victim with necessary assistance, “although she was not employed through the institute’s contractors. We are committed to the law, due process, and doing the right thing.” However, this statement rings hollow when the institute either remained unaware of the atrocities against an Adivasi girl on campus for six years, or turned a blind eye to them.
Geetha Sunil Pillai
Courtesy: Hindi News