Many may have mistaken this foreign woman with a 11-month-old baby strapped to her and dragging her bags along the city streets last week, for one among the countless tourists who arrive here. But for Svetlana Cherkashina, a Belarus national, these have been days of tribulation.
The 35-year-old and her son have now been accommodated by the City Police in a shelter home of the Social Justice Department at Vazhuthacaud. She says she reached India in November last, along with her husband, Aliaksandr Cherkashyn, seeking ‘spiritual growth’. After staying in Goa and Gokarna in Karnataka, the family reached Varkala on March 26.
According to Ms. Svetlana, arguments with her husband began taking an ugly turn from here.
She accuses him of harassing her mentally, of depriving her of her money, her travel documents, the SIM card in her phone and even of ganging up with local resort owners in Varkala and Ayiroor to abuse her. She also accuses the local police of ignoring her plea for help.
Ms. Svetlana said she was locked up in a beach resort near Varkala, from where she managed to escape. Reaching the city late last week, Svetlana sought help from a city church, from where she was first directed to the Superintendent of Police (Thiruvananthapuram Rural), since she was staying at Varkala. The church authorities later took her to the City Commissioner’s Office on Tuesday, from where she was taken to the shelter home.
According to H. Venkatesh, City Commissioner, she had told the city police that she had no money with her and that it appeared that her husband had abandoned her.
“We have contacted the Belarusian Embassy, and will take whatever follow-up action that is necessary. She is safe in the shelter home now,” he said.
According to another senior police officer, the Embassy had replied to the mail from the city police on Thursday. “Her visa is valid till April 29. The Embassy said its officials would take up her matter,” he said, adding that efforts to trace her husband were not fruitful.
