Hyderabad female top cop goes undercover at night, faces 40 men harassment in 3 hours

Newly appointed Malkajgiri Police Commissioner B Sumathi was allegedly harassed by nearly 40 men between 12:30 am and 3:30 am while posing as an ordinary woman during a late night field operation to assess women’s safety in the city.

The Indian Police Service officer stood alone at a bus stand in Dilsukhnagar past midnight as part of the exercise. According to police, groups of men approached her over the three hour period, with several allegedly under the influence of alcohol, passing vulgar remarks and making advances.

Police teams stationed nearby intervened and detained those involved. They were later counselled and released after being warned.


The operation highlighted concerns regarding women’s safety in public spaces, particularly during night hours. Police said the exercise was intended to send a strong message against harassment.

Sumathi, who recently took charge as the first woman Police Commissioner of Malkajgiri, undertook the exercise within a week of her appointment. Malkajgiri is among the four police commissionerates covering Greater Hyderabad and surrounding areas.

Officials noted that this was not her first such initiative. As a young Deputy Superintendent of Police, she had conducted a similar operation near Kazipet railway station.

She began her career as a Group 1 Deputy Superintendent of Police in 2001 and later joined the Indian Police Service in the 2006 batch. Over the years, she has held several key positions in intelligence and law enforcement.

Prior to her current role, she served as Inspector General of Police in the Special Intelligence Bureau and was credited with contributing to the surrender of several Maoists. Through a dialogue based approach, she is reported to have played a role in the surrender of 591 Maoists over a two year period, including involvement in negotiations leading to the surrender of senior Maoist leader Tippiri Tirupati, also known as Devuji.