A homemaker from Pedagantyada area in Visakhapatnam city who went to Saudi Arabia in search of employment to support her family is said to be under captivity of her employer and is allegedly being subjected to torture.
The victim, Garigina Praveena, has reportedly narrated her ordeal to her husband, Garigina Ashok, over phone.
According to Mr. Ashok, his wife had contacted an employment agency headed by one S.V. Reddy in Hyderabad through a local agent and flew to Saudi Arabia in November 2016, where she was given work as a domestic help in a house. The local agents collected her passport and told her that it would be returned when she planned a visit back to India.
Mr. Ashok narrated to the media here on Thursday that Ms. Praveena was paid well till April 2017, and then her employer sent her to work in another home and that is where her ordeal began.
According to Mr. Ashok, his wife was subjected to severe torture and when she raised a complaint, she was allegedly locked up in a room and made to starve for several days. Unable to bear the torture, she called up Indian Embassy and sought help. The officials asked her to send copies of passport and visa without which they said it was not possible to rescue her.
Mr. Ashok called up the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and also wrote a letter. But he did not get any reply from them so far.
The city police have reacted to the reports appeared in social media and asked DCP (South Zone) T. Ravi Kumar Murthy to contact the family members here and seek a detailed report.
Sources said that some women from Gajuwaka area in Vizag had gone to Saudi Arabia and they are also facing a lot of hardships wing to harassment by employers.
