Tamil Nadu to bring maid back from Saudi

Chennai: The State government on Monday assured the family members of Saudi assault victim Kasthuri Munirathinam that all efforts are on to bring the 58-year-old Tamil Nadu woman from Saudi now undergoing treatment for her amputated hand by her employer in that country.  

The response comes with the family members of Kasthuri petitioning the Chief Minister’s cell seeking the State’s intervention in the issue. Kasthuri’s son M. Mohan (37) and daughter M. Selvi (35) who submitted a petition in the CM’s cell were invited for a detailed discussion with Additional Secretary, Public, V. Palani Kumar, at the Secretariat. During the meeting, which lasted about a few minutes, the petitioners shared the details related to their mom and her job agreement.

“The officials at the CM cell disclosed the communiqué from the Indian Embassy at Riyadh. They read out the diplomatic letters exchanged between India and Saudi embassies in which the foreign diplomats had assured adequate medical attention promising an early discharge from the local hospital”, M. Mohan told reporters.   

“We are content with the response from the State. I am hoping for the early arrival of my mother”, Mohan said fighting tears. Kasthuri's sister Vanaja and Lakshmi who were also at Fort St George with their relatives said.

 "We came to know about the incident only last week through agents who got a house maid job offer for Kasthuri in Saudi. The relatives said they would share videos exposing the torture meted out to Kasthuri with the State and Indian embassy seeking action against the offender.

The External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday tweeted about the assault on woman from Vellore as unacceptable and the ministry had also been demanding a case of attempt to murder be registered against the foreigner for his inhumane crime. Kasthuri's employer in Saudi Arabia allegedly chopped off her hand after the victim complained about harassment and torture meted out to her.