Pankaja, Sushma help in rescue of city girl in Qatar
A teenage girl from Matunga, who was taken to Qatar on the promise of a job with an Indian family, but was forced to work for an Arab family and allegedly kept in subhuman conditions, was rescued and brought back to India through the intervention of Rural Development Minister Pankaja Munde last week.
Requesting anonymity, the girl’s family who hail from Ahmednagar District, told Mumbai Mirror on Saturday that she had approached a recruiting agency for a job late last year. Her elder sister said that the agency took her to Qatar on October 31, on the promise that she would work on a salary of Rs 20,000 for an Indian family, and that the job would only be for three months.
“However, on reaching Qatar she was forced to work for an Arab family. Her passport and phone were taken away and she was told she would be released only after two years. My sister was shaken and shocked,” the elder sister said.
“Finally, she managed to give her home phone number to another maid who contacted us in India,” the sister said. “My mother approached Pankaja Munde to help get my sister back.”
Pankaja, in turn, got in touch with Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. The External Affairs Ministry then swung into action and through the Indian consulate in Doha succeeded in getting the girl released.
“She finally returned to India on January 8,” the sister told Mirror. “Luckily, she did not come to any physical harm over there,” she added.
Requesting anonymity, the girl’s family who hail from Ahmednagar District, told Mumbai Mirror on Saturday that she had approached a recruiting agency for a job late last year. Her elder sister said that the agency took her to Qatar on October 31, on the promise that she would work on a salary of Rs 20,000 for an Indian family, and that the job would only be for three months.
“However, on reaching Qatar she was forced to work for an Arab family. Her passport and phone were taken away and she was told she would be released only after two years. My sister was shaken and shocked,” the elder sister said.
She further said that the girl was not given sufficient food by the family in Qatar, and alleged that she was kept in subhuman conditions, but did not elaborate.
“Finally, she managed to give her home phone number to another maid who contacted us in India,” the sister said. “My mother approached Pankaja Munde to help get my sister back.”
Pankaja, in turn, got in touch with Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. The External Affairs Ministry then swung into action and through the Indian consulate in Doha succeeded in getting the girl released.
“She finally returned to India on January 8,” the sister told Mirror. “Luckily, she did not come to any physical harm over there,” she added.
