HC orders Rs 2.5 lakh relief to Bali woman falsely detained over flesh trade

An Indonesian masseuse who was falsely detained on flesh trade charges, here, has been awarded Rs 2.5 lakh compensation by the Madras High Court and the amount would be deducted from the salary of the inspector concerned in 50 instalments. 

The victim M Kadek Dwi Ani Rasmini of Bali had been employed at a popular spa chain in Neelankarai. She was detained in October 2018 when K Natarajan was law and order inspector. He registered an FIR based on the inputs by constable Kumar that a flesh trade was being run in the guise of a massage parlour there. The owners of the spa chain Suganth and Hema were cited as accused while five women from different countries, including Rasmini were shown as ‘rescued from their custody’. 

While Rasmini was deported to Indonesia, she filed a writ petition at Madras HC seeking compensation for denial of personal liberty, loss of reputation, mental agony and monetary losses of about Rs10 lakh. While Suganth and Hema too filed a petition to quash the charges against them, judge N Anand Venkatesh who also quashed the FIR, said in his verdict on January 2 this year that the petitioner, a foreign national, who came to India after obtaining valid employment permit for a salary of $25,000 per year, was entitled to be paid Rs 2,50,000. 

The then DGP wrote to the Home Department requesting the government to recover the amount from Natarajan’s salary. The money would be handed over to Rasmini through Consulate of Republic of Indonesia, Chennai.