Sushma Swaraj and her team have rescued a 55-year-old woman who was tortured by a family in Saudi Arabia after being sold as a domestic help to them.
Sukhwant Kaur, hailing from Ajtani village of Punjab returned to her hometown this Wednesday, after the matter was brought to the notice of India’s External Affairs Minister by Kaur’s family.
As per NDTV reports, Kaur had gone to Saudi Arabia in January this year on a 3-month tourist visa but was eventually sold and tortured there. A Jalandhar-based agent Puja aka Satish Kumari was involved in sending Kaur to Saudi Arabia and selling her to a family there with help of a Delhi-based agent named Shakir Khan.
On returning to her home, Sukhwant Kaur recalled how she was confined, tortured and treated like a “slave” in Saudi Arabia. The family who allegedly “bought” her told her that they had paid a sum of Rs.3.5 lakh to the agent who sent Kaur to Saudi Arabia.
On demanding salary, Kaur was ruthlessly beaten up. Forget salary, Kaur wasn’t even given proper medical help when she was ill.
However, when her health deteriorated severely, she was admitted to a hospital where she met a Kerala-based nurse. The nurse helped her speak to her husband Kuldeep Singh over phone. Kuldeep Singh then approached External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj with help of his village Panchayat leaders.
Following this, the Indian embassy officials in Saudi Arabia extended their helping hand to Sukhwant and said that she could return home safely. First Sukhwant boarded an international flight to Mumbai, then traveled by air to Amritsar and from there on to her village by road.
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The woman and her family thanked Sushma Swaraj and her team for rescuing her. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh also thanked the minister for her instant action.
Sukhwant Kaur has reached Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/dOackhptw0
Advertisement— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) May 31, 2017
Puja has been arrested by Mumbai police at the city’s international airport when she came to meet Sukhwant there on her arrival in the country, whereas Shakir Khan has not been traced yet.
I have seen the video. Pl register a case against agent and also help Sukhwant Kaur.@ProtectorGenGOI @capt_amarinder https://t.co/6XO3abuRIr
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) May 31, 2017
