After long ordeal, hapless Telangana woman set free from Kerala prison

KOCHI: Vijayalakshmi, a hapless woman from Bhadradri Kothagudem district, finally had a sigh of relief when she was released from the district prison, Kakkanad, Kerala. She has been in prison since September 7.

The 40-year old widow was cheated by a recruitment agent in Amalapuram, Andhra Pradesh, who offered her a housekeeping job in Kuwait.

The agent sent her to Muscat from Hyderabad via Kochi, on September 5.

As the airport authorities found discrepancies in her documents and she was deported back to Kochi. The Nedumbassery Police Station detained her and sent her to district prison, Kakkanad.

The poverty-afflicted woman was in a state of shock, without even knowing the reason why she was detained. She couldn’t even ask the cops as she doesn’t know any language other than Telugu.

However, Viyalakashmi was fortunate enough to get the necessary legal assistance on time. The cops at Nedumbassery Police Station also realised that the woman is innocent and was trapped by the agent.

"I never thought I could come out of the prison so soon. I'm truly indebted to everyone who has extended their help in letting me out of the jail. My relative who is working as a reporter contacted her editor Reshmi and she reached out to Smitha from Cochin. With her contacts, she has arranged a lawyer and today I was released from the prison. I request those who want to fly to Gulf nations in search of lucrative jobs to think twice before applying. They shouldn't fall in the trap of the agents who dupe women and send them for other purposes by fabricating the documents", said Vijaya Lakshmi before boarding the train to Vijayawada from Ernakulam.