'Locked In, Starved, and Beaten': Kuki Nanny Alleges Years of Torture at IIM Bangalore Professor's Home | TM Exclusive

Bengaluru- A domestic worker employed at the residence of a professor at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) has alleged that she was physically assaulted, denied food and medical attention, confined to the campus premises, and had her wages arbitrarily deducted. The woman Naina (pseudo name) 23, a native of Churachandpur, Manipur, began working at the household in 2019 through a placement agency. An FIR was registered at the Mico Layout Police Station on May 6, under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. As of the time of publication, no arrests have been made.

The accused are identified in the FIR as Amar Sapra, a faculty member in the Department of Production and Operations Management at IIMB, and his wife, Anshu, an educator who also operates a nursery franchisee on the IIMB campus. The incident location in the FIR is recorded as the IIMB campus, Bilekahalli, Bengaluru.

The Mooknayak spoke with Seilalmuon Haokip , President of Kuki Students' Organisation Bangalore(KSOB) who revealed the details of the case. He stated that for the past several days, the victim was allegedly subjected to various forms of mistreatment by her employer. She was physically assaulted, not allowed to leave, denied food and water, and prevented from contacting her family and relatives. Her mobile phone was also taken away.

On the morning of May 4, having gone without food since the previous day, Naina approached the residence of a neighbouring professor on campus identified in community communications as Prof. Rajiv and sought help.

"Seeing her condition, they provided her with food and shelter and allowed her to rest. Using a phone from Rajiv’s household, she contacted her family. Her family then informed KSOB. Early the next morning, a complaint was lodged at the police station. The police coordinated with Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, and discussions were held with the institution’s Board of Directors. The woman was safely rescued, her pending wages were fully paid, and an FIR was registered so that appropriate action could be taken against those responsible for the mistreatment as well as against the institution if required. A copy of the FIR was also obtained", Seilalmuon Haokip explained.

The Mooknayak spoke with Naina, who stated that initially everything was fine, the abuse worsened progressively after she joined the household. She was made to work from 6:30 in the morning until past midnight and was not given adequate food or medicines during illness. Her mobile phone was confiscated and she was prevented from contacting her family. She was not permitted to leave the campus.

" Prof Amar was a little better but Anshu physically assaulted me, pulled my hair and even when I was talking to others, she hit me several times. I have not told anyone out of fear.. and they frequently checked my mobile messages and locked me up so that I could not go out," she sobbed.

Naina said she had not visited her family in Manipur for over a year. “I went home when my father passed away last year. Since then, I have not seen my family,” she said. The FIR records that Anshu physically assaulted her on April 15, at approximately 2:30 am, pulling her hair and striking her multiple times.

On wages, Naina told The Mooknayak that she was contracted to receive Rs 18,000 per month. For April 2026, she was paid only Rs 10,000, with her employers claiming she had not worked sufficient days. A further Rs 5,000 was said to have been paid to the placement agency. When she tried to contact the agency, she was told that since she was now employed directly by the family, the agency bore no further responsibility. Haokip confirmed that the agency, while disclaiming any obligation to intervene, had continued to collect fees from the employers without Naina's knowledge.

Naina, the eldest among three siblings, is the sole earning member of her family and bears the responsibility of supporting her mother and younger siblings.

“I studied till Class 10 but could not appear for the final examination, so I do not have a Secondary certificate,” she said, breaking into tears. “I don’t know what I will do if I return home. I have to look after my family, so I want to stay back in Bangalore and find a decent household where I can work without fear and torture.”

Haokip said that no NGO or welfare organisation has come forward to help Naina find alternative employment. KSOB, which filed the FIR on her behalf and has been providing support, has no dedicated funding. "She could not decide right now what to do. We told her that if she needs further assistance we will try our best to help her, although KSOB has no funding or source of income," he said.

The case has drawn significant attention within the Kuki community in Bangalore, with widespread calls for the arrest of the accused and for police to invoke all relevant statutory provisions, including the SC/ST Atrocities Act. KSOB has also issued an advisory urging community members from Manipur seeking domestic employment in Bangalore through agents to inform the organisation in advance, citing a pattern of exploitation of migrant workers by unverified intermediaries.

Community leaders alleged that the omission of these sections is deliberate, intended to reduce the legal severity of the charges and shield the accused from more stringent prosecution.

Kiran Kumar Gowd, President of the All India OBC Students Association, expressed solidarity and support to the victim. Speaking with The Mooknayak, Gowd stated, " AIOBCSA strongly condemn any form of discrimination, harassment, violence, racism, or atrocity against people from the North East States living, studying, or working in Bangalore or any other parts of the country. Especially, South India is much safer for them.

South India stands in solidarity with our brothers and sisters from the North East. Diversity, dignity, and equality are the foundations of a democratic society, and there must be zero tolerance towards hate, racial profiling, intimidation, or targeted attacks against North East communities.

Any attempt to isolate, humiliate, or attack individuals on the basis of their appearance, language, culture, or regional identity is unacceptable and must be treated as a serious offence." The students body demanded immediate action from the police and concerned authorities to ensure accountability, protection, and justice for the victims.

Despite the filing of the FIR on May 6 and police coordination with IIMB authorities, the accused have not been taken into custody at the time of publication.

The incident has raised serious questions about how highly educated individuals, that too, a faculty member of a prestigious institution like IIM Bangalore, could allegedly subject their domestic help to such inhuman treatment. It has also triggered scrutiny over the role of the institute itself , after being informed of the complaint, how IIM Bangalore could allow such alleged mistreatment to continue on its campus without initiating any visible action against the accused professor and his wife.

The Mooknayak reached out to IIM Bangalore Director-in-charge Prof. U. Dinesh Kumar seeking details on whether any internal action has been initiated against Prof. Amar Sapra. We also contacted Prof. Amar Sapra and Mrs. Anshu via email, requesting their response to the serious allegations made against them in the FIR. However, no response has been received from either IIM Bangalore or the accused couple as of now.

Additionally, SHO Natrajan of Mico Layout Police Station did not respond to messages from The Mooknayak seeking the latest update on the investigation. This report will be updated as and when responses are received or further developments take place.

Naina, meanwhile, remains in a state of uncertainty. Displaced, without employment, and processing six years of fear and abuse, she told this reporter she does not yet know what she will do next. Her story, however, is now public and the Kuki community of Bangalore has made clear it intends to pursue accountability until it arrives.