TM Special : SC/ST Act Added in FIR Against IIM-B Professor, Wife for Nanny Torture; Case Transferred to DCRE

Bengaluru- In a significant development, the Mico Layout Police Station has included provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, in the FIR filed by a 25-year-old Kuki tribal woman against IIM Bangalore Professor Amar Sapra and his wife Anshu Sapra.

The case was initially registered on May 6, with only milder charges under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 127(2) (wrongful confinement) as the victim's tribe certificate wasn't available. The tribe certificate was mailed to the Mico police station authorities by the DC office Churachandpur, Manipur which led to the new developments.

With the new sections invoked, the case has now been transferred to the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement (DCRE) for further investigation. This escalation is expected to ensure stringent action against the accused couple.

The victim, Naina (name changed on the victim's request), hailing from Churachandpur, Manipur, had been working as a nanny-cum-housekeeper at the Sapra residence on the IIM Bangalore Bannerghatta Road campus since 2019. She is the eldest among three siblings and the sole earning member of her family.

Naina, who studied till Class 10 but could not appear for the final examination, recounted her harrowing experience to The Mooknayak:

“At the time of the communication of the terms of my employment, I was informed that the nature of my employment would only be restricted to ‘child caring’ or ‘nanny works’. However, on my arrival at my employer’s residence, I was made to do not only nanny work but also household chores including cleaning of utensils after every meal and cleaning the house twice a day. My working hours began from 6:30 am in the morning till 12 am at midnight- 18 hours a day, which is twice the number of working hours permissible under labour laws. I was also never paid for the extra 9 hours of work, and even when my wages were paid, I was never paid in full most of the times.” She further alleged:

Naina claimed she was physically assaulted and abused, mostly by Anshu Sapra, who allegedly pulled her hair, slapped her face, and called her derogatory names such as “pagal” (fool) and “idiot”. She was sometimes starved until her work was completed. In one instance, the couple’s minor son, also physically assaulted her, but the employers took no action to prevent it.

The victim 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 emotionally.

Naina also revealed two previous attempts to leave: in 2023 and after her father’s death in June 2025. Each time, the Sapras allegedly pleaded with her mother, made promises of better treatment, and even withheld her belongings to force her return. However, the situation only worsened.

On May 4, after being starved the entire day, Naina escaped to a neighbouring professor Rajiv’s residence, where she was given bananas and parathas. She then contacted her mother-in-law, who reached out to the Kuki Students’ Organisation Bangalore (KSOB), leading to the registration of the FIR the next day.

Notices sent but couple didn't appear

The Mico Layout Police had issued two notices to Prof. Amar Sapra and Anshu Sapra, asking them to appear at the station for recording their statements. However, the couple failed to respond to both notices.

Initially, the FIR did not include SC/ST provisions because the victim’s tribe certificate was not immediately available. With the active help of KSOB, the certificate was later obtained and submitted to the police.

ACP Nagaraj confirmed to The Mooknayak that the SC/ST Atrocities provisions have now been added and the case transferred to the DCRE. On being asked about the accused couple interrogation, the officer said that since the case has been transferred, a new Investigating Officer (IO) will interrogate them. The victim was under counselling for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at NIMHANS and is still suffering from severe trauma.

The Kuki Students’ Organisation Bangalore has been consistently supporting the victim and ensuring she receives justice. Expressing partial relief over the inclusion of the Atrocities Act, Seilalmuon Haokip, President of KSOB, told The Mooknayak, "Since she is taking medication, she is doing okay right now. The doctor said it may return again after a month. They have advised her to continue counselling even when she is in Manipur. They also referred her to a doctor in Manipur who is located near where she is staying."

IIM Bangalore is yet to take any visible internal action against Prof. Amar Sapra or issue an official statement on the matter. The Mooknayak had earlier reached out to IIM Bangalore Director Prof. U. Dinesh Kumar, Prof. Amar Sapra, and Anshu Sapra for their responses, but none have replied so far.

The inclusion of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act is expected to strengthen the case significantly, given the prolonged nature of the alleged caste-based humiliation, exploitation, and abuse suffered by the tribal victim on the IIM Bangalore campus.

The Mooknayak will continue to follow the case closely and update readers on further developments, including the DCRE investigation and any action by IIM Bangalore.