Backstory 2024: A taxi driver thought police violence was normal

The route to R Dhanalakshmi’s house seemed to be never-ending. “Off the main road here, second right, then another left, follow it through till the nearby temple,” she said in a matter-of-fact manner as I spoke to her on the phone. “There, you’ll see a small pushcart advertising fish fry. The next left after that.”

I noticed that the driver of the cab I was in was listening in on our conversation, and growing irritable at the confusing directions. He and I took turns asking Dhanalakshmi questions to try and understand what she was saying, but had little luck. We stopped and asked people on the road, but nobody knew the location we were describing.

When we finally arrived at the old house in Coimbatore’s Saravanampatti neighbourhood, the driver asked suspiciously if I was sure this was the house I was trying to locate. When I nodded, he asked why I was so keen on finding Dhanalakshmi and her family.

I explained to him that the family had allegedly had a direct experience of violence while in police custody. This answer seemed to pique his curiosity, and he offered to stay until I’d finished my interview to take me back into the city. It was a...

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