Man Seeks Help After Wife Working Abroad Tortured

A man from Punjab has written to the Maharashtra State Commission for Women to help him get his wife back from Muscat. Hardev Singh's wife, Sarabjeet Kaur, is employed as a domestic help there. The family is based in Punjab.

The Case

Sarabjeet had left India in an attempt to earn more money to fund her daughter's education. However, circumstances changed once she left the country.

An agent in Punjab promised her work as a domestic worker in Malaysia. “She left in March. But instead of Malaysia, they took her to Dubai and then Muscat,” Singh said, reported Indian Express.

Saranjeet's employer reportedly tortured her and denied her salary and even food. She is beaten up whenever she demanded her salary

Singh added that her passport and phone have been confiscated by her employers.

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She has called her husband thrice since March and everytime she calls she says, “Mujhe wapas bula lo (Bring me back home).”

Help from another victim

Singh alleged that he had filed a complaint at the local police station but got no help from them.

This is when Farida Khan stepped in. Khan, from Badlapur, Mumbai, was also employed in Muscat and faced violence at the hands of her employer. She had also met Sarabjeet. “I met Sarabjeet in Muscat. She gave me her husband’s number. She too was tortured like me,” Farida said.

Khan advised Singh to approach the women's commission for help.

She too like Sarabjeet had decided to go out for a job to support her family. An agent first took her to Qatar and then to Dubai and Muscat in January.

Khan's husband Abdul Aziz Khan said, “For a month, she could not call. When she finally did, she told me they would beat her up, make her stand in the sun for hours and provide no food for 15 days at a stretch.”

He also revealed, “My wife was given electric shocks when she refused to do what they asked.”

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Abdul questioned the agent, who in turn demanded Rs 2 lakh for her return. Abdul gave him Rs 40,000 and then went to police station for help. He alleged that the police refused to file an FIR.

Abdul said, "When they did not register an FIR, I approached the women’s commission’s helpline.”

According to officials from the women’s commission, the Ministry of External Affairs was approached and they directed Badlapur police to investigate the matter.

Officials from the commission said that Singh has contacted them.

Police probe

Senior police inspector KG Chavan from Ambernath police station revealed that two agents named Imran and Iqbal have been arrested in Farida’s case. Investigations are being conducted to extract more details.

This is not the first incident where women have been deceived by their agents into a foreign job. Various such incidents have come to light since the past few months and it is essential that concrete action be taken against the agents and even the police officials who are unwilling to help the public.

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Kriti Dwivedi is an intern with She ThePeople.Tv