Bengaluru Police Serves Notice to IIM-B Professor, Wife in Kuki Nanny Abuse Case: Spot Verification Held on Campus, IIM-B Yet to Act

Bengaluru- In a significant development in the case of alleged abuse and confinement of a 23-year-old Kuki domestic worker at the residence of an Indian Institute of Management Bangalore faculty member, the Mico Layout police have served notices to the accused couple Professor Amar Sapra and his wife Anshu Sapra asking them to appear at the police station on Tuesday.

A spot verification was conducted on the IIM-B campus on Monday, where the investigating team visited the site of the alleged crime along with the victim. However, even as the police process moves forward, IIM Bangalore as an institution has maintained a conspicuous silence, with no action initiated against the accused professor despite a second communication sent by The Mooknayak to the Director-in-charge. Amar Sapra is a faculty member in the Department of Production and Operations Management while his wife is an educator and runs a nursery franchisee within the campus.

The victim, Naina (name changed), a native of Churachandpur in Manipur, had been working as a domestic help and babysitter at the Sapra household since 2019, having been placed there through a placement service agency. The 23-year-old alleged that through the years, the couple subjected her to severe ill-treatment, thrashings, denying her adequate food, withholding medicines even when she suffered from kidney stone pain, confiscating her mobile phone, monitoring her personal messages, and restricting her movement to the confines of their residence. She was not permitted to speak freely with her family back in Manipur. The young girl alleged she was made to work from early morning to past midnight without ample food and rest.

On May 5, having gone without food since the previous day, Naina mustered courage, escaped from the household and ran to a neighbouring professor's residence on campus. The neighbour provided her with food, shelter and allowed her to use a phone to contact her family in Manipur. Her mother, deeply distressed upon learning of her daughter's plight, reached out to the Kuki Students' Organisation Bangalore for intervention. KSOB swung into action and helped Naina lodge a formal complaint at Mico Layout Police Station, following which an FIR was registered on May 6 under Sections 115(2) and 127(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

On Monday, a team of officials from Mico Layout Police Station arrived at the IIM-B campus along with the victim to conduct the mandated spot verification. The Mooknayak spoke with KSOB President Seilalmuon Haokip, who confirmed that the proceedings went smoothly and that the police officials were cooperative throughout. Notably, Professor Amar Sapra was present at his residence when the police team arrived, while his wife Anshu Sapra was not available at the time. Seilalmuon also informed that the cops have asked for the victim's documents including caste and age proofs which would be duly submitted at the station on Wednesday.

Speaking with The Mooknayak, Srinivas, one of the investigating officials in the case, provided a measured update on the progress of the investigation. He confirmed that the accused couple had been formally served notices and summoned to appear at the police station, they are expected on Tuesday.

On the question of why the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act provisions had been left out of the FIR, a matter that has drawn strong criticism from activists and community leaders, the officer said that the initial phase of investigation was still underway. He stated that the police would ascertain and verify whether the complainant indeed belongs to a Scheduled Tribe, and that as the investigation progressed and her credentials were confirmed, the relevant provisions of the SC/ST Atrocities Act would be invoked if applicable.

The officer's response also addressed another significant legal angle that has emerged in the case. When asked whether child labour provisions could apply, given that Naina was brought to the household in 2019 and is presently 23 years of age, meaning she may have been a minor or barely of working age when the alleged abuse began, the officer said that all age and caste-related documents would be collected from the victim and her credentials would be thoroughly verified. He added that if any violations of labour laws were found to have occurred, appropriate action would be taken.

Meanwhile, Naina herself, who had booked a ticket to return to her home in Manipur on May 13, has decided to stay back in Bengaluru in order to assist the police in the ongoing investigation. "We have counseled the victim and assured her that KSOB would extend every possible support to her in her quest for justice. She has agreed to stay on," KSOB President Haokip told The Mooknayak, adding that the organisation, despite having no dedicated funding, remains committed to standing by her side until justice is delivered.

On the institutional front, IIM Bangalore's silence is becoming increasingly difficult to justify. The Mooknayak sent a second email specifically to the Director-in-charge, Prof. U. Dinesh Kumar, seeking clarity on whether any internal disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against Professor Amar Sapra. As of the time of publication, no response has been received. The institution's earlier statement to TOI, that it had extended necessary assistance to the victim and remained committed to due process, rings increasingly hollow as days pass without any visible action against the accused faculty member.

Sources have claimed that the accused professor is allegedly leveraging his influence at the premier institution to pursue an out-of-court settlement, however the Kuki organisations and community have made it unequivocally clear that they will not rest until the accused couple is behind bars for the grave and inhuman crimes committed against one of their own.

The incident has triggered a fierce storm on social media, with members of the Kuki community across the country raising their voices against the abuse and discrimination faced by their people in mainland India. The case has reignited a broader conversation about the vulnerability of migrant domestic workers, particularly those from the northeastern states, who often have little legal recourse, no institutional support, and are at the mercy of placement agencies that disclaim responsibility the moment a dispute arises.

KSOB has already issued a community advisory urging those from Manipur seeking domestic work in Bengaluru through agencies to inform the organisation in advance, citing a deeply entrenched pattern of exploitation by unverified intermediaries.

The case now hangs at a critical juncture. The accused couple is expected to appear before police on Tuesday. Whether the SC/ST Atrocities Act provisions will be invoked, whether child labour angle will be examined, and above all, whether IIM Bangalore will finally be compelled to act against its own faculty member, these are the questions that Naina, the Kuki community, and civil society are waiting to have answered.

The Mooknayak will continue to follow this story. This report will be updated as further developments occur.