'Tortured' Maid Sumati Kotian Seeks Justice in Mangalore
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (MM / MB)
with Melka, Rons Bantwal, Austin Pinto and Ganesh Perla
Mangalore, Apr 17: Readers of daijiworld may well be aware of the episode of Sumati Kotian, who has alleged her Mangalorean employers in Abu Dhabi of torture and has lodged a complaint in Mumbai airport immigration police against them.
After being hospitalized on complaining of weakness and wounds on her body which, she claims, were caused by her employers' assault, she has now finally reached home at Palli, near Karkala where she hails from.
The media in Mangalore has prominently highlighted her story, most importantly the details of the 'torture' she underwent in Abu Dhabi. A few TV channels have aired her interviews.
Sumati Kotian is now seeking justice through various organizations and sympathetic activists from Mangalore.
When Daijiworld.com and TVdaijiworld team, after facing a volley of enquiries of concern from readers worldwide, paid an exclusive visit to Sumati's house at Palli. She has the following points to say, in her own words:
Carrying a dream
Sumati, mother of her only son Kenneth Joshua studying in 9th standard, wanted to educate her son to the best possible level. But her financial condition forced her to go to the Gulf. In 1995, she went to work in Muscat, but, unfortunatedly, in 10 months, illness forced her to return home.
But her dream to work in the Gulf again was alive. It was realized when she got the second opportunity to fly to the Gulf on a job.
At the end of May 2006, she was given a job in Abu Dhabi to work as a maid in the house of Deepak Lewis and Sarita Lewis couple who also hail from Udupi district.
Misery unfolds
Initially she was told to take care of the newborn twins of her employers. Later on, she was forced to do all the work in the house. Sumati did not refuse to do any work allotted to her, according to her. But harassment came as a reward for her sincere work, she says.
On the pretext that the chapatis prepared by Sumati were not good enough, the employer had once hit her on her right hand finger with the chapati-making rolling-pin. Later, when blood oozed out of her injured finger, and dripped on the pair of trousers she was ironing, the hot iron was placed on her hand !
She was being forced to sleep in the balcony of the house during cold nights of December, even without a blanket. When she asked to be sent back to India, the employers demanded Rs 2 lac in compensation for a replacement. Later when her physical condition had worsened leaving her with burnt wounds and scars, they decided to send her back. But they did not forget to threaten her that if at all she or anyone dared to complain to the the police or anybody else, they would kill her husband and son.
On February 8, she reached Mumbai. She could not even walk that time. She was admitted to Cooper hospital there for treatment.
The other side
If the above is the version of Sumati, daijiworld team in Dubai also contacted Sarita and obtained her version. She was very co-operative and gave following statement to daijiworld.
"We are aware that the story has been blown up, and she has tried to malign us with various statements to the media in Mumbai and Mangalore. Only a few among media asked for our statements and we have clarified the fact. Many newspapers and TV channels have published a one-sided story, which hurts us a lot, but we are ready to face even judicial enquiry.
We would like to repeat that she was working with us for only 3 months in 2005, and thereafter she was absconding from us. She has entered here through a recruitment agency in Mumbai so we do not have any idea about her sponsors. Whatever stories she is building up now do not represent the fact. We presume that she wants to get some lump sum as compensation from us by taking the media into confidence. But we have great regard for the Indian law, and we hope justice will prevail."
We have also learnt of some baseless stories making rounds in the media that we are planning to migrate to Canada or some other western country. This is totally untrue. We have never applied for any other country's citizenship."
Sarita further says, "I have twins who completed just one year. We are human beings and cannot treat another human the way Sumati has spoken to the press.
We are ready to face the court or police in India, because we are so confident and aware that we are not at fault.
We are sad to note that, a section of the media has visited our house in Udupi and troubled my parents. They are innocent. What right does anyone have to harass my parents? If anyone needs clarification, let them talk to us we will provide the proof that Sumati was with us only for 3 months and not any longer than that. Let the law decide who is right and who is wrong. We are ready for any enquiry."
Now what?
Looking at the statements from both sides, it is difficult to take sides of either party. But any independent person will feel that there is need of a strong intervention of some party here to find a permanent solution to this episode.
Daijiworld also met the heads of a couple of organizations which are trying to intervene and solve this issue. But they say that the former employer of Sumati must pay compensation. Sumati has been living below the poverty line, and she needs funds for the education of her son and the future of the family. Compromise may be possible if the employers pay suitable compensation.
However, Sumati's former employer says, "Why should we settle for compensation as we are not at fault? She has gone to the media and let her get justice there. We believe in the law and we will go according to the law."
Could a lie-detector test be the right answer to ascertain who is telling the truth and who is not?
Hope justice will prevail, much before this sad episode will, in the course of time, be consigned to the short public memory.
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