Housemaid from Madanapalle ‘ends life’ in Kuwait

A 26-year-old widow from Madanapalle division, who had gone to Kuwait 11 months ago to eke out livelihood as domestic help, reportedly committed suicide at a rural village near Kuwait city. Though the incident is said to have occurred six days ago, information reached her father here only on Sunday night, following which he approached the local police seeking justice to the family.

Madanapalle Taluq Circle Inspector M. Srinivasulu said that Ramana and Sunanda of Pasamvaripalle of Penchupadu panchayat of Madanapalle mandal had performed marriage of their daughter Varalakhshmi with a man from a a neighbouring village. A couple of years ago, she had returned home along with her daughter, following the demise of her husband. As Ms. Sunanda had earlier worked in Kuwait as a domestic help, the mother-daughter duo had planned to go there again.

By the end of 2018, they had approached a Gulf job agent at Madanapalle by name Shaik Sahid Pir who arranged jobs for them in Kuwait rural side within 10 days. In the last week of February, Varalakshmi had sent voice messages to her father, saying that she was ‘facing hell’ from her employer. She had reportedly asked her father to arrange ₹3 lakh meant as payment to her owner for violating the contract period, and return home early. The father in turn had assured the daughter that he would do something to get her relieved from there.

In this backdrop, Varalakshmi’s mother, working at another household at a neighbouring locality, received information that her daughter had committed suicide five days ago, and that her body was at a mortuary at a rural hospital. Ms. Sunanda in turn passed on the message to her husband, revealing the tragedy on Sunday night. On Monday morning, Ramana approached the agent at Madanapalle and blamed him for his daughter’s death. The Circle Inspector on preliminary inquiry found that the agent had not collected any amount from the women, except for arranging them flight tickets.

“Regarding transportation of the woman’s body, the matter would be pursued with the Indian embassy there in Kuwait. We have suggested to Mr. Ramana to approach the Kuwaiti police if he wanted to launch any complaint against his daughter’s death there,” the police officer said. Those who are in distress can contact police helpline No. 100.