Indian couple forced to work 22 hours a day as domestic helps in Kuwait, rescued

On June 20, the woman stepped out of her employer's house under the pretext of buying vegetables and reached the Indian embassy, seeking help. (Representative image)

An Indian couple from Thane who were forced to work 22 hours a day by their employer in Kuwait for months, finally managed to return to India on Wednesday after being rescued by the Mahashtra police and the Indian embassy.

Assistant Police Inspector of Bharosa cell, Meera Bhayander Vasai Virar (MBVV), Tejashree Shinde said that a woman from Bhayandar in the Thane district had lodged a complaint some time back stating that a domestic help  and her husband were held captive by their employer in Kuwait.

The woman, whose identity has not  been revealed, told the police that she knew the couple as the house help had worked with them in the past. "She stated in her complaint that the couple moved to Kuwait on April 5 through a recruitment agency. They were hired as domestic helps by a Kuwait national and promised a monthly salary of Rs 40,000," Shinde said.

The couple were supposed to take care of two children besides  housekeeping and cooking, but their employer, Mosab Abdulla, forced the them work for 22 hours a day taking care of nine children and maintaining a 6-bedroom flat, the API added.

"Due to the workload, the woman fell sick and was admitted to a hospital in Kuwait. That's when she managed to get in touch with her previous employer (the complainant) in Bhayandar and tweeted her a picture of the hospital in Kuwait, urging her to rescue her," Shinde said.

After Abdulla, came to know that the woman had tweeted her whereabouts, he snatched her mobile phone and didn't allow her and her husband to step out of his house.

Meanwhile, the complainant rushed to the Bharosa cell of the Maharashtra police and sought their help, the police officer said. The police then got in touch with the Indian Embassy in Kuwait

"After enquiry, the embassy stated that the couple had entered into a contract with the house owner and had to fulfil it. But, if the woman manages to visit the embassy and lodge a complaint, then they could help her," Shinde said.

On the night of June 20, the woman stepped out of Abdulla's house under the pretext of buying vegetables and reached the embassy, the police said.

Two days later, the embassy produced the couple in the Kuwait labour court which summoned Abdulla. He was made to return the couple's passports.  Abdulla then filed a case for violation of contract against the couple.

"The court ordered the couple to return to India by July 4 by their own money and if they failed to do so, the statement of their owner will be recorded for the alleged violation of the job contract," Shinde added.

The couple could not afford the flight tickets, but their previous employer, friends and relatives in India pitched in and bought the tickets and finally returned to India.