The door-to-door survey, reportedly run out of TNS’s Kochi office on behalf of US research agency Princeton Survey Research Associates, asked people in a predominantly Muslim area of the state capital of Trivandrum about their views on matters relating to Islam and the US.

Reports said some of the survey’s questions were specifically targeted to Muslims, including whether respondents considered themselves Indian first or Muslim; their views on US president Barack Obama (who is currently visiting India); whether they wore a burqa; and whether they “liked” Osama Bin Laden.

The police were apparently alerted in early October by participants who objected to the survey and were unsure of its legitimacy. Five female interviewers were taken into custody by police, but later released.

It was only when a report was submitted to the Home Minister for Kerala, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, that the matter was taken further. Minister of State for Home Mullapally Ramachandran (who represents a consituency in Kerala) told news site Rediff.com that he had directed the State Intelligence Bureau to look into the matter.

The Kerala director of police Jacob Punnoose was quoted in the Gulf Times as saying: “We decided to file a case under Indian Penal Code which relates to the charges of promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion and race.”

A TNS spokesperson told Research today that the company was unable to comment on the matter. Representatives of Princeton Survey Research Associates, and of the Kerala Police, were unavailable at the time of publication.