Maid locked up in apartment for three months rescued

Team Udayavani, May 22, 2019, 12:55 PM IST

Bengaluru: the Kadugodi police rescued a domestic help, who had allegedly been locked up and tortured by her employer for three months.

The victim is identified as Sujala Begum (24), hailing from Assam. The accused is Roopali.

It is gathered that Sujala Begum 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. Roopali allegedly never allowed Sujala access to a mobile phone and threatened to shave her head if she tried to escape, but after few days of torture from the accused, Sujala somehow 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.

Police after receiving the information formed a team went to the apartment but was unable to locate Sujala. On Monday, another team went into the apartment complex and entered the flat. They found Sujala gagged and tied in the bathroom, soon Sujala was taken to Vydehi Hospital for treatment as she had injuries all over her body, informed sources.

After Sujala was rescused she informed the police that 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 also told 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 Kadugodi police have registered a case against Roopali and booked her 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).