Mangalore: Dalit Sangarsh Samiti seeks City Police Help in Awarding Justice for Domestic Help

By Robert D Costa
Pics by John V Tauro
Bellevision Media Network

Mangalore, 1 Jul 2013: The delegation of district Dalit Sangarsh Samiti (DSS) met City Police Commissioner Manish Kardhikar, here on Sunday June 30, in order to seek justice for a certain woman, who worked as a domestic help in the city.

DSS briefed Commissioner Manish that Shwetha, a woman hailing from Chandrapur village of Mudigere taluk of Chikmagalur district worked as a housemaid for over 5 years with Anita Celly, who is living in Urwa, here.  Anita is married to a German national and visits her husband very often.  Shwetha fell in love with a certain Ashraf who was working in a mobile recharge shop in the same locality.  This person had hidden his true identity tried to exploit her innocence and she became pregnant.  Shwetha reported the matter with her employer Anitha, when she was 2 months pregnant.  Anitha advised Shwetha not to abort her baby, instead assured of caring after the childbirth.  Her lover was gone untraceable.   

 

Meanwhile, Shwetha delivered the baby prematurely at the state-run Lady Goschen Hospital, here.  She was discharged in a few days from the hospital and returned to her employer’s home along with the newborn.  Shwetha tried to juggle her household chores along with caring for her baby.  However, one day Anita advised Shwetha that its better the baby can be given away to an ashram as juggling both the tasks are straining.  Anita asked Shwetha to get some fish and vegetables from the market, when she had returned her baby was missing.  Shwetha asked Anita about the baby, while Anita said that she had given away to an ashram that will look after and return.

Anita began to mentally and physically harass Shwetha who had to work meekly hoping for the safety of her baby whose whereabouts known by only Anita.  After suffering for many years, Shwetha left the service with Anita who was paying her just Rs 1,500 per month and over the years accumulated several thousands of unpaid wages. 

 
Once Shwetha was employed elsewhere in the city, her case was referred to DSS by some samaritans.  DSS lodged complaint with Urwa police for mental abuse on Shwetha by Anita on May 19 2013.  A complaint was lodged with women and child welfare department and SC/ST – CR cell on June 28 2013, seeking justice for Shwetha in tracing her baby, to recover unpaid wages and get compensation for mental abuse.

When DCC called Anita to know about the baby where it was cared for, she was ambiguous in her reply.  It further complicated the issue, in seeking the intervention of city police. 

DSS district president Anandadas, Sadashiv, Sridar, Bhoja and Ravi Kumar were present at the occasion.