Punjab woman held captive in Saudi Arabia, family seeks MEA assistance
The family of the victim have alleged that the police refused to take action against the accused because of his strong political links.
Jalandhar: After making unsuccessful attempts to get help from police to save their mother, children of one Paramjit Kaur, who was allegedly sold as slave in Saudi Arabia, have now knocked the doors of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to contact the concerned authorities.
39-year-old Kaur from Bilga village had gone to Saudi Arabia on July 13 to work as a domestic help, reported Hindustan Times. She informed her family on August 21 that she has been held captive by her employer.
The children, in a video, appealed to the MEA to help their mother return home. The video was shared by a social activist Rajvinder Sharma, who has been helping the economically weak family.
“We are Gorsiya Nihal residents. My mother Paramjit Kaur was sold by an agent Resham Lal Bhatti for Rs 4 lakh in Saudi Arabia. The police have not taken any action yet. We are poor and our mother has been suffering a lot,” Kaur's 17-year-old daughter Rajni reportedly said in the video.
“I request foreign ministry and the state government to help us get our mother back as soon as possible,” she added.
The family and relatives of the victim have alleged that the police refused to take action against the accused travel agent, Resham Lal Bhatti, because of his strong political links.
In an FIR, Kaur's husband Malkeet Ram said that Bhatti had promised to get her a job in Saudi. He told them that his wife also worked there and that the family would get Rs 40,000 once she settles down there.
He also said that after Kaur reached Saudi Arabia, the employer confiscated her passport and did not allow her to leave the house.
According to HT, Bhatti, who is absconding, has been booked under Sections 370 (buying or disposing of any person as a slave), 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).