New Delhi, Nov 15 (Hindustan Times) : A fortnight after a 13-year-old domestic help was rescued after her air hostess employer locked her in the house and went to Australia, another domestic help was rescued by the Delhi police from the house of a US-based NRI in east Delhi's Mayur Vihar Phase-I.
The police have arrested the 55-year-old NRI woman, identified as Aarti Jain, for allegedly torturing her 24-year-old domestic help and causing burn injuries on her body with a hot kitchen tong.
Police said Jain came to India four months ago to take care of her mother, who is undergoing treatment at All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Indian Labour Act against Jain.
The help, identified as Umarwati, is from New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal. She was employed at Jain's residence four months ago through a private placement agency. The police are now looking for the placement agency.
According to a senior police officer, the matter came to light on Thursday afternoon when Umarwati managed to get hold of her employer's mobile phone and called the police control room.
"After receiving the PCR call, a police team along with a local NGO immediately reached Jain's house and inquired about the domestic help. The team found Umarwati locked in a room. She was taken to a nearby government hospital for medical examination," said the senior officer, adding there were visible burn injury marks on Umarwati's body.
The police recorded her statement after the medical examination and on the basis on her complaint, a case was filed and Jain arrested.
Umarwati, in her statement to the police, had alleged that her employer used to force her to eat stale food.
"Jain used to beat her for minor mistakes like not cleaning the house properly. Her employer injured Umarwati by using a hot kitchen tong several times whenever she demanded her salary. The help has also alleged that Jain, on several occasions, let loose her pet dog on her. Also, most of the times she was kept locked in the room," the officer quoted from the domestic help's complaint to the police.