Thrissur: The life of Sheela Sunny, an ordinary woman who was running a beauty parlour to make a living, is a perfect testament to how a fake complaint can destroy the life and credibility of a person. Humiliated in public and struggling to prove her innocence, the hapless woman was dragged through tormenting legal procedures and put in jail for 72 days. Though she was finally released from jail, she had lost everything, as her life had been shattered to pieces irretrievably. Now, away from her homeland, Chalakkudy, she works as supporting staff in a daycare centre in Chennai to make a living.

On Friday, the Kerala High Court observed that the lives of some people get destroyed due to false accusations, citing her example. It was while considering the plea for anticipatory bail by MN Narayanadas, the accused in the drug case in which Sheela had unknowingly gotten involved. Justice PV Kunhikrishnan rejected the anticipatory plea of Narayanadas.

It was on February 27, 2023, that Sheela's life changed completely. Based on an anonymous call alleging drug trafficking under the guise of the beauty parlour, excise officers conducted an inspection. They found substances resembling LSD stamps in Sheela's bag. Despite her repeated claims of innocence, the officers arrested Sheela that very night and handed over her photo to the media. Sheela, who was imprisoned, was released only after 72 days.

When the chemical analysis results of the "LSD stamp" were released four months later, it was revealed that no traces of drugs were found. Further investigation by the excise crime branch revealed that Sheela had been trapped by others. The High Court acquitted Sheela of all charges. Excise Minister M.B. Rajesh personally called her to express regret over the incident.

However, Sheela didn’t have the courage to go out of her house and face the public, as the drug case had irreparably damaged her image. To conduct the case to prove her innocence, she had to sell much of the equipment from her parlour, which led to a loss of income.

Her life was at a standstill, and in this dire phase, a volunteer group from Malappuram, Thanal, offered to help her reopen the parlour. Unfortunately, the parlour became a loss as people hesitated to visit following the case, and Sheela had to hand over the business to someone else due to insufficient income to pay the rent.

The alienation from people also caused her great pain. This was when she decided to leave her hometown. With the help of a friend, she found a job at a daycare centre in Chennai. With a bruised mind and shattered spirit, the hapless woman is trying to rebuild her life away from her hometown. At times, she wonders what wrong she had done to those people who had decided to ruin her life with a vicious script.