A 24-year-old domestic help, who had allegedly been locked up and tortured by her employer for three months, was rescued by the Kadugodi police on Monday.
The victim, Sujala Begum, who hails from Assam, had come to work in a beauty salon at Whitefield owned by the accused, Roopali, who lived in a five-bedroom flat at Shantiniketan Apartments, said the police. It was where Sujala was allegedly held captive and tortured.
“The victim was found locked up in a bathroom of the apartment, which is on the 11th floor. Her hands were bound and her mouth gagged,” said a police officer.
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The victim, in her complaint, said she was forced to work round the clock, taking care of seven members comprising Roopali, her husband, two children and the salon employees, who also lived in the apartment.
“She told us that her employer would beat her and lock her in the bathroom without food whenever she resisted or demanded that she be allowed to go back home,” the officer said.
Roopali allegedly never allowed Sujala access to a mobile phone and threatened to shave her head if she tried to escape.
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The ordeal ended when Sujala managed to convince one of Roopali’s employees to give her a mobile phone, which she used to call a relative working as a domestic help in Whitefield.
“Sujala told us that she was not able to bear the harassment and would commit suicide if we did not rescue her,” the relative told The Hindu . The relative approached the police and filed a complaint.
A police team went to the apartment but was unable to locate Sujala. However, they felt something amiss. On Monday, another team — this time in plainclothes — drove in a private vehicle into the apartment complex and entered the flat. They found Sujala gagged and tied in the bathroom. “The victim was taken to Vydehi Hospital for treatment as she had injuries all over her body,” the police officer said.
Sujala told the police that she had left her family in Assam and came to Bengaluru so that she could earn money to support them. “I was promised a pay of ₹10,000 a month, but have got only ₹5,000 till now,” she said.
The Kadugodi police have registered an FIR against Roopali under Sections 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (intention to insult the modesty of a woman), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 324 (assault), and 344 (wrongful confinement).