Shalini Chauhan, 25, was an undercover police officer at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College (MGMMC) in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, trying to solve a ragging case.

She spent hours at the cafeteria getting people to come out and chat, and eventually 11 students were detained and their putative victims came forward.

The reason Chauhan picked the canteen was that neither the students nor the staff checked IDs while people were eating or speaking there. Even still, she acknowledged that there were times when she was concerned that her cover had been compromised.

“At first, I would be scared because certain students would become quite suspicious. The integrity of the investigation would be compromised if they discovered who I was. Therefore, I would communicate to various student groups various things about the year I was in, where I was from, etc., stated Chauhan.

Shalini had to discover the details of a report of serious ragging, including the victims’ and offenders’ identities, after more conventional investigations had come up empty. This required the policewoman to walk a fine line.

Shalini Told How The Covert Mission Got Underway

There was a call from Indore to a New Delhi anti-ragging helpline in July of this year. A number of older students at MGMMC, according to the complainants, would summon them to their dorms before abusing and slapping them.

They claim that the bullies made them harass female pupils and perform sex acts on pillows while still being forced to be bullies.

A complaint was reported at the Sanyogita Ganj police station in Indore.

“A team was formed,” (SHO) Tehzeeb Qazi explained. “Shalini could easily pass off as a student, while some male cops were tasked with spending time in cafes in and around the campus.”

Some cops posed as canteen workers, while others took on the role of customers in nearby cafes.

Chauhan’s role was the most crucial, she had to infiltrate the alleged squad but also get victims to speak up.

On questioning about the authorities involvement, Qazi said “They didn’t exactly know who was in which role. Only that police personnel were and keeping tabs in civil uniform and questioning students”.

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Shalini Have To Be Quite Cautious

“I had to be very careful. Asking too many questions would have made them cautious”. “Also, if the suspects came to know of me, the suspects would threaten and harass the victims.”

To build a rapport with students, Chauhan tried to ensure that she did not come on to strong initially.

“For the first couple of days, I would just chat with the students about food, classes, medical sciences in general. Then slowly I started asking them about how the seniors are and what happens inside,” she explained.

11 students were eventually detained under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The IPC included sections 294 , 341 , 506 , and 323 as a result of the team’s persistent efforts .

Eight alleged victims, according to Qazi, have also come forward and provided testimonies.

For me, it was a fantastic learning opportunity, Chauhan remarked. “I never imagined that I could pose as someone else and assist in solving such a delicate issue. I felt just like a spy.