The Ernakulam Central police have registered a case against the assistant manager and chief regional manager of a bank based on a complaint filed by an employee alleging caste discrimination and assault.

Following this, the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) staged a dharna on Monday (February 17) in front of the bank’s regional office. The two managers reportedly used caste slurs in Hindi against the employee, and one of them allegedly assaulted him when he refused to purchase medicines for him. One of the managers secured bail from the Kerala High Court after being charged under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, while the other manager belongs to a Scheduled Caste community. The police have collected evidence, including CCTV footage, as part of their investigation.

Later in the day, the bank issued a statement saying that it has a well-established grievance redressal mechanism to ensure that all employees, including those belonging to SC/ST, OBC, women, and other categories, have a structured and fair platform to raise their concerns. The statement further said that the bank adheres to all government guidelines and internal policies to maintain an inclusive and equitable work environment. It also suggested that the events may have been influenced by a personal agenda aimed at benefiting certain individuals or organisations.