Photos: Indian woman's hand chopped off by Saudi employer

58yr old Kasturi Munirathinam, an Indian woman working as a cleaner, had her hand chopped off by her employer in Saudi Arabia because she complained about her poor working conditions and tried to escape. Her sister, Vijayakumari told The Indian Express that the incident took place last week after the maid complained to the authorities that she was being tortured and starved by her employer, as well as not being paid.

"We are told that the incident happened on the night of September 29 after she complained about torture and non-payment of wages by her employer. He chopped off her hand when she tried to escape from the house through the balcony. Some neighbours and others took her to hospital."

Kasturi, who is married with four children is recovering in hospital in Riyadh. Her husband and son are farm workers, but she was “forced to take up the job abroad” because the family were in financial difficulty after the marriages of her three daughters.

"Kasturi's employer was angry after she told local officials about the harrassment she was facing there, she was not even provided food" Vijayakumari revealed

Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said the embassy was “very much disturbed over the brutal manner” in which the lady was treated. "This is unacceptable. We are very disturbed over the brutal manner in which the Indian lady has been treated in Saudi Arabia," she said.

Reacting strongly to the incident, Swaraj added that the matter has been taken up with Saudi authorities. In a video uploaded by a visitor at the hospital in Riyadh, Kasturi is seen asking to be sent back to India. It also shows her describing in Tamil how she tried to jump off from the balcony using a saree. "This is the first time she has gone abroad for work. She was promised a salary of Rs 15,000 ($180) from which the agent was to take his cut because he did not charge any advance," Vijayakumari said.

"She was forced to take up the job abroad as the family was facing financial problems after the marriage of her three daughters,"

Reacting to the incident, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup described the incident as “unfortunate and most condemnable”, and said India would “continue to seek justice for the victim”. "Our Embassy in Riyadh has taken up the matter with the Saudi Foreign Office and asked for strict action in the matter and severe punishment for the sponsor. We have also sought an independent probe in the incident and urged that a case of attempted murder be lodged against the sponsor so that he is punished, if found guilty as per law,” the spokesperson said.