The New Indian Express ·
Indian embassy in Kuwait rescues Tamil Nadu domestic worker after torture allegations
The Indian Embassy in Kuwait has stepped in to assist an Indian domestic worker who posted a video alleging that she was tortured and denied pay for months in the Gulf country.
The woman, identified as Vanitha from Tamil Nadu, appealed to authorities in her home state in a video to help her return to India.
Responding to a question on the issue during his regular press briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the embassy had extended her a helping hand. “As soon as our embassy became aware of this issue, it offered assistance,” Jaiswal said.
“She is currently at our embassy. We remain committed to doing our best for the well-being, safety and welfare of Indian nationals abroad,” he said.
The woman from Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district alleged torture, starvation and non-payment of wages by her employers. She said she travelled to Kuwait three months ago through an employment agent.
In the video, in which she is seen with her head covered with a scarf, the woman alleged that she had been denied proper food for more than 50 days and had not been paid her salary for the past two months.
“They are torturing me... I request the Collector madam and the Superintendent of Police madam to somehow rescue me and help me return to my motherland,” she said with folded hands.
Police in Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi district booked a local employment agent on Friday after Vanitha, who was allegedly duped by him, was rescued in Kuwait following her SOS video detailing the severe torture she was undergoing.
Responding to the video, officials swiftly intervened in the matter on Friday. In the clip, Vanitha pleaded for her life and spoke of extreme cruelty, starvation and unpaid wages she endured at the hands of her overseas employers.
"I am Vanitha, who had sought the Indian Embassy's help to rescue me. Now, I am in the Indian Embassy. Thank you, Indian Embassy. I have good dress and good food now," she said in a follow-up video, supposedly recorded inside the embassy.
The ordeal came to light when Vanitha, a mother of two, recorded her initial SOS message from a cramped room with her head covered.
She said she had travelled to Kuwait three months ago but had not received her salary for the past two months. With folded hands, she appealed to the Kallakurichi District Collector and Superintendent of Police to rescue her before her employers could kill her.
Following the widespread sharing of her video online, authorities in Tamil Nadu traced her family. Her mother, Vennila, lodged a formal complaint with the district administration, alleging that the employment agent had deceived her daughter about the nature and safety of the domestic work abroad.
Kallakurichi Superintendent of Police Shahnaz confirmed that district officials verified the family's identity based on the video. An FIR has been registered against the agent based on Vennila's complaint, and local police have initiated legal action against him.
Jaiswal also responded to a separate question on certain remarks reportedly made by Birmingham Mayor Zaker Choudhry on the Kashmir issue. “The whole of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are integral and inalienable parts of India,” Jaiswal said.
(With inputs from PTI)