Nurse forced to slavery in Gulf; Sushma Swaraj to the rescue

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj asked the Indian envoy in Saudi Arabia to help a nurse from Karnataka who has reportedly been pushed into slavery in the Gulf country.

By PTI

Updated: Saturday, June 24, 2017, 11:42 [IST]

New Delhi, June 24: A family of three children in Karnataka can now hope that their mother trafficked and sold to a Saudi man will soon return home to India as Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has taken note of the plight of the victim Jacintha Mendonca.

Sushma Swaraj on Friday asked the Indian envoy in Saudi Arabia to help a nurse from Karnataka who has reportedly been pushed into slavery in the Gulf country. "Javed : Pls help rescue this lady. @IndianEmbRiyadh," Swaraj tweeted, asking India's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ahmad Javed to help Jacintha Mendonca, the Indian nurse. As per media reports, a man in Saudi Arabia has demanded 24,000 Saudi Riyals (USD 6,398) to free her.

On June 23, The Times of India had reported that a Saudi Arabia national was demanding 24,000 riyals (approximately Rs 4 lakh) in exchange for her release. Mendonca was allegedly taken to Saudi Arabia on June 19, 2016. Her family said the last time they spoke to her was in December 2016. "My mother has been sold for Rs 5 lakh by an agent," Mendonca's son, Vinroy, was quoted as saying. "She is suffering terribly in Saudi Arabia. She is ill and is being beaten by the kafil.

Replying to a separate query on twitter, Swaraj said every PIO (person of Indian-origin) cards has to be converted to OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) cards, saying it is mandatory. She also directed the passport division of the External Affairs Ministry to resolve difficulties being faced by a person with disability.

Her response came after one Luv Kher requested to renew a passport of his disabled son. "@SushmaSwaraj @MEAIndia Kindly approve passport renewal of my divyang son (J9503328), can't visit biometrics. Appl. pending @ RPO GZB Thanks (sic)," Kher said. Responding to the issue Swaraj tweeted, "I have asked @CPVIndia to resolve this".

PTI