CHENNAI: After the death of a domestic worker in the city, members of the National Domestic Workers’ Movement (NDWM) alleged that the body was handed over to a woman who had actually trafficked the teenaged worker.The members said that Sumitra who allegedly trafficked the teenager, should be arrested along with the owner on charges of engaging in child labour. Also, they pointed out that the human trafficking bill has to be passed to protect such victims.
“Mahalakshmi, who is believed to be 17 years, was sold to a businessman Muruganantham for `1 lakh about six years ago by Sumitra, who posed as an aunt. Sumitra would collect `5,000 from the victim every month,” said Lissy Joseph, member of Andhra Pradesh Domestic Workers Union.On Wednesday afternoon, the girl died in their house around 2 and the immediate reason for her death was her worsening health condition and the failure of her master Sushmitha (wife of Muruganantham) and her niece Mithra in taking her to a hospital. During investigation, police found that both the women had been physically abusing her.
“The deceased had several injury marks on her hands including blood clots and heat boils. It appears she was assaulted with knives,” an investigating officer said. Later, police arrested both the women.
However, finding this suspicious, Lissy further investigated the case in Andhra Pradash and found that the girl’s parents were still alive.”Her parents are alive but were separated when she was about nine years old. Later, Sumitra who was a neighbour of the victim promised to look after the mother and daughter. A few months later, she had admitted Mahalakshmi’s mother as a domestic worker in a nearby village and after a few years she sent the girl to Chennai to work as a domestic help. Sumitra had said she was suffering from a serious disease and the money the girl sent her was used for medication. “When we wanted to meet her, we found that she had come down to Chennai, claimed the body posing as the victim’s aunt and performed the final rites,” added Lissy.
Other organisations working together on the case, including Unorganised Workers Federation and Pennurimai Iyakkam, while addressing mediapersons said police and other agencies like the labour department, anti-trafficking wing, state commission for protection of child rights and human rights commissioner must intervene. They pointed out that the victim had been exploited as a child bonded-labourer by the employer and such workers in the State have no legal protection. Such inter-State migrant workers must be monitored, regulated and their welfare should be ensured, they said.