Plot
Santosh Saini, the wife of an Indian constable who was killed during a riot, inherits her spouse's position as a constable through a government scheme called "compassionate recruitment" and is appointed to a rural town. During her duty, she overhears a Dalit man speaking about the disappearance of his 15-year-old daughter, Devika Pippal, two days earlier, after the police had previously ignored his report. They attempt to file another complaint at the police station but are mockingly disregarded.
The following day, she comes across a protest outside the police station. She sees Devika's corpse among the crowd; Devika had been raped, murdered, and dumped in a well in a Dalit village. Devika's parents, standing beside her body, demand justice from the police and declare that they will not leave unless the perpetrator is punished. Santosh and other female constables are ordered to drag the protesters away. The death and subsequent protests receive widespread media attention.
Santosh, Inspector Geeta Sharma, and other police officers arrive in the Dalit village to investigate the death. Santosh learns from Devika's parents that Devika was last seen at dawn when she went to fetch water. She finds Devika's mobile phone and reads her text messages with Saleem, who had mentioned that he was going to Mumbai, and reports her findings to Geeta that evening. Santosh visits the village chief's house, where Saleem and his father work on the chief's farm, and learns that they left several days earlier. Afterwards, she pressures one of Saleem's friends into providing information about him and learns the name of the city where he is staying. Santosh and Geeta arrest Saleem at a hotel in the city.
They report to the police commissioner's house, where the commissioner suggests that they keep Saleem near his home after a politician, Beniwal, visits him. The day after Saleem's arrest, the police beat him during interrogations at an abandoned house. Saleem admits that he knew Devika, liked her, and had obtained her mobile phone number. Unsatisfied with his answers, the officers torture and waterboard him during the interrogations. Santosh is handed a paddle and, under pressure, repeatedly beats Saleem before suffering a panic attack.
Unable to sleep afterwards, Santosh reflects on Saleem's possible death and questions whether he is innocent. Geeta responds that his innocence would not help advance the case. Santosh discreetly checks Saleem's smartphone and discovers that he was in Mumbai on the day of Devika's death, implying that he could not have murdered her. In the following days, Santosh and the police team report that Saleem died by suicide through hanging. However, Geeta privately warns Santosh that autopsy reports will eventually reveal Santosh's responsibility for Saleem's death.
Santosh visits the village chief's house and learns that Devika had gone to fetch water from the chief's well because a cat's corpse had contaminated the well in the Dalit village. While Santosh is there, Beniwal, the chief's brother-in-law, arrives. Santosh asks Beniwal whether he was aware of Devika entering the property. However, Beniwal avoids the question, and one of his friends remarks that Dalits are not allowed to fetch water from the chief's well before casually mentioning a recent party they attended. When Santosh confronts Beniwal about whether he was responsible for Devika's murder, he responds by asking what she would do if he were guilty.
Santosh meets Geeta at a restaurant and confronts her over the fact that she knew Saleem was innocent. Geeta responds that Saleem's death has brought justice and served as a warning to those who would commit rape, and that finding the real culprit would not benefit Devika's family or village. Geeta shows Santosh her suspension letter. After visiting the Pippal house, Santosh leaves her uniform in her quarters and boards an intercity train.
