Hyderabad: Palepu Raji, 10, and her sister Durga, 15, last saw their mother Lakshmi six years ago in 2009. She left that year to work as a domestic help in a house in Muscat.
Soon after she began work in her kafil (sponsor’s) house, she reportedly saw his wife and her lower allegedly kill a baby which was born out of their illegal affair. The wife and lover pinned the murder of the child on Lakshmi.
“They forced her to admit to murder and assured that they would bribe the police and get her released in two days. They threatened that she would never go back home if refused to accept,” Ms Lakshmi’s mother Sanyasamma said.
She took the blame and went to prison, and the kafil’s wife did not help her out. Ms Lakshmi was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Her two children stay with Ms Sanyasamma, their maternal grandmother. Their father, Dharma Rao, died in a road accident after five years of marriage.
Seeing Ms Lakshmi, who hailed from East Godavari in AP helpless, an agent, identified as Ramakrishna, allegedly lured her to work as a domestic help in Muscat.
After Ms Lakshmi’s arrest, Ms Sanyasamma sent three mercy petitions to the government but there has been no response. Her younger daughter, Raji, said she saw her mother only in a picture. “I cannot imagine how my mother looks. I just want to see her once,” the 10-year-old said.
Sr Lissy Joesph, regional coordinator, Domestic Workers Movement, who is pursuing Ms Lakshmi’s case, said they had submitted representations to the then chief minister, political leaders, the NRI department, the Protec-torate of Emigrants, State Commission for Women, the MP from West Godavari and principal secretary, labour.
“All the pleas from her daughters, parents and from us to different offices have fallen on deaf ears. Someone should intervene and secure her release on humanitarian grounds.” she said.
