Justice from Saudi Arabia still a far cry for this maid from Tamil Nadu

Chennai, Nov 5: Saudi Arabia continues to remain adamant on the issue relating to an Indian maid whose hand was chopped off by her employer. Saudi Arabia has maintained that the maid lost her hand after she jumped off the roof.

According to the rules, if the maid wants to return to India, then her employer has to give her an exit visa. The employer is however, refusing to do so until the case against him is withdrawn.

Sources in the Ministry for External Affairs tell OneIndia that they are still working on this case and are hopeful of a resolution soon.

Last month a complaint had been lodged stating that the employer of Munirathinam Kasthuri had chopped off her hand. The maid who hails from Tamil Nadu was admitted in hospital and now seeks to return home desperately.

What Saudi Arabia wants:

Although India insists that it was the employer who chopped off the hand, Saudi Arabia has denied the same. The Saudi authorities claim that the maid was not of sound mind and had jumped off the roof and this resulted in her losing her hand.

Now the maid has indicated that she is desperate to return to India. Her relatives too continue to urge the Indian government to make arrangements for her return. However, India has been told that unless the employer signs her exit visa, she cannot return. Moreover, the employer has also insisted that she withdraws the case.

India however, would not want the maid to withdrawn the case and continues to speak with authorities in Saudi Arabia on a quick resolution to the issue. India feels that if the case is withdrawn then it could become a precedent and will affect all other Indians in Saudi Arabia.

There are already a lot of complaints against Saudi employers of ill-treating Indian workers. India wants to ensure that Indian workers are treated better. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia soon. Among a host of other issues, he will bring up the issue relating to the working condition of Indians in Saudi Arabia too.

India and Saudi Arabia have had their fair share of problems over such issues in the recent past. Only recently a Saudi diplomat in Delhi was accused of ill-treating maids at his Noida residence. The Saudi diplomat however, managed to get away owing to diplomatic immunity.

OneIndia News