“False accusations can ruin lives, those who make them must be held accountable.” This was the opening statement of Justice PV Kunhikrishnan of the Kerala High Court, as he sat down to pronounce an order on Monday, January 27. The court was hearing the anticipatory bail plea of one Narayana Das, who had made false allegations against Sheela Sunny, a beauty parlour owner in Chalakudy, Thrissur. Narayana Das’ tip off to the state Excise Department had led to a search at Sheela’s establishment in February 2023, following which she was booked in a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act case for alleged possession of LSD stamps.
Dismissing Narayana Das’ bail plea, Justice Kunhikrishnan said, “The accused in such cases should be apprehended immediately for investigation. If found guilty after trial, in addition to the prescribed substantive sentences, they should be ordered to pay the maximum possible compensation to the victims in accordance with the law. Such a clear message must be sent to society to strengthen faith in the justice system.” The court also urged the Union government to amend the law to ensure strict punishment for those who make false accusations.
The day everything changed
Sheela’s life was upended on February 27, 2023, when a team led by Inspector K Satheeshan, attached to the Irinjalakuda Excise Circle Office, walked into her beauty parlour in Chalakudy.
“As usual, I went to the parlour that day. Some officers who introduced themselves as excise officials came in, and told me that they had received information that I was selling drugs. They searched my bag, opened an inner zip, took out a paper-like object, and claimed it was a ‘stamp’. They found a similar item in my scooter. I had no idea what a stamp even was,” Sheela recalled to TNM, speaking from Chennai, where she currently works.
The officers seized 0.160 grams of what they claimed were 12 LSD stamps. Sheela was booked under Sections 8(c), 22(c), and 60(3) of the NDPS Act, 1985. She was arrested, placed in judicial custody, and spent 72 days in jail.
Later, a chemical test conducted in May 2023 revealed that the seized substance did not contain Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD).
By then, Sheela had lost everything. She said, “I was in jail, and everyone distanced themselves from me and my family. Only my husband, daughter, and son-in-law stood by me. I had to shut down the beauty parlour after my landlord served me a notice. Even when I restarted it at another location, I barely had any customers because of the case.”
At the time of her arrest, Sheela was preparing to migrate to Italy for a job as a home nurse, but the case shattered her plans. Three months ago, she moved to Chennai, where she now works at a daycare center. “There were no opportunities for me back home, and I needed a change. I’m happy here, working with children,” she said.
A ploy allegedly from within the family
An inquiry by the Excise Crime Branch later found that it was 54-year-old Narayana Das from Ernakulam who had provided the false information that led to Sheela’s arrest. A case was subsequently registered against him. Investigators also discovered that he was a close friend of Sheela’s daughter-in-law’s sister.
“A day before the incident, my daughter-in-law’s sister was at our house. She even used my two-wheeler. When things started going wrong, we began suspecting her and my daughter-in-law,” Sheela said, adding that she did not have any other ‘enemies’.
There were no issues between her and her daughter-in-law either, Sheela recalled, which has left her confused why this even happened. “When I was in jail, my son and daughter-in-law came to visit me once. But after that, we lost all contact. I never reached out to them either as I was too scared,” she added.
Court takes firm stand
Narayana Das was booked under Section 58(2) (wilfully and maliciously giving false information and causing arrest or a search) of the NDPS Act. The prosecution added that he should be held liable for the offense under Section 28 (punishment for attempt to commit offences) of the Act.
The court order stated, “After a detailed investigation of the petitioner/informant’s call records, the prosecution found that he was near the place of occurrence on the date and time of the incident.”
In court, Narayana Das’s lawyer argued, “If the police and excise authorities begin registering cases against informants in such matters, nobody will come forward to provide information.”
However, the court noted that Narayana Das was charged with an offense punishable by only two years in prison, while Sheela was wrongly booked under sections that carried a 10-year sentence. The court emphasised that punishment must fit the crime and suggested that the Union government consider amending the law to address such cases.
“False accusations are the most malignant and venomous of all calumnies … If there is any inadequacy in sentencing for such cases, the Parliament must take serious note of it. The registry will forward a copy of this order to the Union of India,” Justice Kunhikrishnan stated.
The court also observed that the allegations against Narayana Das were serious and expressed doubt over how he had obtained photographs of Sheela’s bag — evidence that strengthened suspicions of a conspiracy.
Dismissing his bail plea, the court asked, “A poor woman was falsely implicated in an NDPS case out of enmity and remained in jail for 72 days. Who will compensate her for this?”
The court directed Narayana Das to surrender within seven days, adding that if he failed to do so, the investigating officer must take coercive measures to arrest him.
While Sheela is relieved by the court’s decision, she remains deeply troubled by all that she has already lost.