Sushma Swaraj Brings Back Woman Conned & Harassed in Saudi Arabia

Zainab was allegedly tortured and sexually harassed by her employers in Saudi Arabia.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. 

(Photo: Reuters)

A day after Zainab Begum, who was allegedly sexually harassed by her employers in Saudi Arabia, returned to India, the victim's daughter thanked Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj on Saturday, 27 January, for rescuing her.

Zainab, who left for Saudi Arabia nine months ago for a job, was allegedly sexually harassed by her employers and beaten up by a rod on many occasions. She is a resident of Kaalapathar, Telangana.

My mother’s employers have tortured her a lot. They had misbehaved with her and beaten her up too. But, she is finally back home. I would like to thank Sushma Swaraj and the Indian Embassy for rescuing my mother.

Rubeena Begum, Zainab’s daughter

Zainab was stuck in Saudi Arabia since June 2017 when a local agent cheated her by making a false offer of a well-paying job in a Riyadh hospital. Instead, she was taken to Hairy, a largely agricultural city, more than 600 km away from Riyadh, where she worked as a domestic help.

Speaking about the torture she had to endure, Zainab said her employer, or kaffel (Arab sponsor), made her work all day and refused to pay her salary.

“I had given up on my salary when they started misbehaving and torturing me. They threatened me as well. I became suicidal and one day I drank poison, but my employer did not take me to the hospital,” she recalled.

It was only later that her children informed that they have filed a case against the employers.

“I was soon contacted by the India Embassy and finally reached home yesterday,” said Zainab. She returned to India on 26 January after landing in Mumbai. From there, she took a bus back home to Telangana.

(With inputs from ANI)