Maid rescued from agent in Kuwait, brought back to India

The woman had quit her job in the foreign country, alleging torture by her employer, but was not being allowed to return to India

A 32-year-old woman from Kodagu district of Karnataka, who went to Kuwait to work as a domestic maid, was rescued from the clutches of an agent in the foreign country and brought back to India.

Parvathi, a native of Karadigodu village near Virajpet, went to Kuwait in October 2022 through an agency based in Tamil Nadu to work as a domestic maid.

However, Ms. Parvathi quit her job in the foreign country, alleging torture by her employer. But, her agent in Kuwait, who had facilitated her employment through the agency in Tamil Nadu, refused to let her return. The agent had allegedly locked her up and did not allow her to venture out.

But, Ms. Parvathi was allowed to use her mobile phone and had access to a wifi connection, said an official with the Disaster Management Cell of Kodagu district that had been entrusted with the task of securing Ms. Parvathi’s safe return.

After the Kodagu district administration received a complaint about her illegal detention, they got in touch with her by tracing her location. The office of the Indian ambassador and the office of the Ministry of External Affairs in Kuwait were informed about the illegal detention of the woman.

“With the help of the office of the Indian ambassador in Kuwait, she was safely brought back to India,” according to an official statement from the Kodagu district administration.

The woman, who had left behind her two children in India, landed in Chennai on January 31 before heading to her village in Kodagu district, officials said.