Chennai: A 16-year-old domestic helper was allegedly tortured to death by her employers here, sending shockwaves across Tamil Nadu and highlighting the plight of minors forced to work amid economic challenges.
The chilling incident unfolded on Diwali day at a flat in Mehta Nagar of Chennai’s Aminjikarai area, where the girl worked as a domestic worker for a couple named Mohammad Nawaz and Nazia, police said on Sunday.
They said the duo would subject the young girl, a native of Thanjavur district, to regular abuse along with their friends.
On Thursday, the accused allegedly branded the victim with cigarette butts and an iron in the horrifying act, leaving her dead. Later, in an attempt to cover up the crime, the accused locked her body in a toilet, lit the area with incense sticks, and fled.
Police have registered a murder case and arrested six persons, including Nawaz, Nazia, and their associates Lokesh, Jayashakti, Seema, and Maheswari.
Officials said Lokesh is facing a separate murder case from a previous incident. They alleged that he played a major role in the torture while Seema, Nawaz's sister, had facilitated the victim's employment.
Growing Abuse Of Domestic Workers
The latest incident has triggered outrage and put a spotlight on the vulnerability of domestic workers. However, this is not the only such incident in the country, as similar episodes of abuse and torture were reported in other cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta, Hyderabad, and Lucknow.
In June, a 28-year-old domestic helper was found murdered in her rented house in Lingampally, a suburb in Telangana.
In September, the UP Police booked the Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Zahid Jamaal Beg, his wife, and his son for allegedly torturing a minor maid and abetting the suicide of another.
In January, an 18-year-old Dalit woman who worked as domestic help at the house of Tamil Nadu DMK MLA Karunanithi's son alleged that she was physically tortured and was denied medical care by her employers, which the legislator denied.
Read More
