This story is part of our series on Police Impunity in India. Reporters from The News Minute and Newslaundry are travelling across states to bring you stories of negligence and abuse of power by the police, and how minorities and marginalised sections suffer the most.
A senior Kerala police officer who accessed and leaked a woman’s private call records to her husband has been exonerated by the state government, sparking legal and human rights concerns over privacy violations, misuse of power, and gender injustice.
In a government order dated May 26, 2025, Beena PS, Additional Secretary, Kerala Home Department, declared that the police officer accessed the phone records of a woman without her consent at the request of her husband — not as part of any official investigation — but to “protect a family”. The officer, K Sudharshan, then serving as Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kozhikode City, Medical College Sub Division, was declared innocent in the order.
What makes the violation worse is that Sudharshan obtained Sabiha’s* (name changed) call records by claiming she was connected with a rape case he was investigating. This was patently false and he had accessed the records because Sabiha’s husband Feroz – his friend – was suspicious of her.
On September 25, 2021, Sudharshan accessed the call details of Sabiha, a native of Ponnani, Malappuram. He then shared the information with Feroz, who distributed it among Sabiha’s acquaintances. It is alleged that Feroz did this with the intent to portray Sabiha, a teacher, in a negative light.
Sabiha then filed a complaint with the Malappuram District Police chief, requesting legal action against officer Sudharshan. Following this, an investigation was assigned to the Malappuram Additional Superintendent of Police.