Indian Woman Held Captive By Employer In Oman Returns

A woman from Chhattisgarh who was allegedly held captive by her employer in Oman after going there to work as a cook returned to India on Friday, an official said.

Jogi Dipika (30), who was accommodated in the Indian Embassy shelter in Muscat since February 1, was received at the Swami Vivekananda Airport here by her husband Jogi Mukesh and BJP MLA Rikesh Sen.

Early this week, Mukesh, a resident of Bhilai in Durg district, had claimed his wife, who was working as a cook in Oman since March last year, had been held hostage by her employer and had sought the help of the government to get her back.

Rikesh Sen, MLA from Vaishali Nagar seat in Durg district, told reporters Mukesh had submitted an application to him during a 'jan darshan' (public grievances redressal programme) about his wife being held captive and being tortured by her employer.

"I immediately contacted the local police officials, informed Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, state Home Minister Vijay Sharma and Assembly Speaker Raman Singh. Dipika managed to get hold a mobile phone and spoke to me," Rikesh Sen said.

"Dipika told me she was employed with a Muslim family. I told her to escape from the place and reach the Indian Embassy in Muscat. She managed to flee but no taxi operator agreed to drop her to the Embassy. Then I contacted some Indians who are acquaintances there and they dropped her off at the Embassy," the MLA said.

Rikesh Sen said Embassy officials told him it was not possible to send the woman back to India at the earliest since some 50 women were at the facility seeking repatriation after facing similar ordeals.

"A man named Abdullah from Hyderabad had sold the woman (Dipika) for Rs 2 lakh on the pretext of sending her for a job. He has done the same with several woman. I requested Embassy officials to send her back and told them I will pay the airfare," the MLA claimed.

Rikesh Sen said Indian Embassy officials informed him that they would arrange for her travel to Delhi, while he would have to bear the expenses of her journey ahead.

"I arranged a ticket for her from Delhi and she arrived in Raipur this evening. Now police will record her statement so that Abdullah and people like him who are involved in such crimes can be arrested," he said.

Rikesh Sen thanked Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi, Chief Minister Sai, state home minister Sharma and Raman Singh for their efforts to bring the woman back. 

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