RAMANATHAPURAM
Two women petitioned the district administration on Thursday to secure the release of their husbands who, they said, were held as ‘bonded labourers’ by a hotel owner in Malaysia for more than three years.
The women – M. Jayalakshmi (32) and A. Pushpa (34) – who came to the Collectorate said their husbands faced threat to their lives and urged Collector S. Natarajan to take up the issue with the government and try to secure their release.
Ms. Jayalakshmi from Kannirajapuram, who had come with her three children and mother-in-law, said her husband K. Meikandan (33), who went to Malaysia in January 2013, sent a ‘WhatsApp’ video in which he said he faced threat to his life and his employer would not allow him to return home.
When he wanted his passport back and demanded his salary dues, he was beaten up, he said in the video. He escaped from the custody of the hotel owner on Wednesday but the employer was searching for him with the help of mercenaries to kill him, he alleged.
Ms. Jayalakshmi further said her husband spoke to her over phone on Wednesday evening and asked her to take care of the children as his return was doubtful. Selvam, who hailed from Kunjaravalasai, should be held responsible if he was killed, said Mr. Meikandan in the video, which was going viral in social media.
Mr. Meikandan’s mother Ponnuthai (70), a widow, said she paid Selvam ₹80,000 after selling her jewels to send her son to Malaysia. Her son sent to the family ₹4,000 or ₹5,000 once in a while, and ₹16,000 was the highest amount he sent in the last four years, she said.
Ms. Pushpa, also from Kannirajapuram and presently living in Avadi, Chennai, said her husband K. Anandan went to Malaysia in March 2014 and could not return home as his passport was with Selvam. He was “working as a slave” for borrowing ₹1 lakh from Selvam, she said. In the last three years, her husband repaid ₹1.20 lakh towards interest and Selvam would allow him to return home only if he paid the principal amount, she claimed.
The Collector said he would forward the petitions to the government for necessary action.
