GURUGRAM: A
domestic worker,
Maya Das, was allegedly beaten up by her employer,
Tina Chatwal, at her residence in
DLF Westend Heights, a housing society in
DLF 5, on Thursday evening.
This happened a day after a domestic worker employed with a Romanian couple, who live in a condominium on Golf Course Road, committed suicide by hanging self from a fan.
Hundreds of domestic workers and their husbands gathered outside the upscale condominium the same evening and held protests till Friday morning, demanding an
FIR against Chatwal.
Talking to TOI, Maya Das said, “Her mother told me to cook bhindi bhaji, along with parathas. Madam turned up a little later, asking for dinner. She got upset when I told her what I had made and started arguing with me. She, finally, slapped me on my left cheek under the ear.”
Das added that Chatwal also kicked her in the stomach after which she started to spit blood. “She even tried to strangle me and threatened me with a knife. Later she threw me out and left me near the lift,” she said.
According to Das, Chatwal’s parents witnessed the entire incident and it was Chatwal’s father who told her to leave the house as soon as possible. Mamta, the other domestic worker in the house, informed Das’s family before rushing her to Paras Hospital for treatment.
Mamta, who was among the protesters on Friday, said, “When I saw her getting thrashed, I rushed to help and took her to the hospital.”
Das’s family lodged a complaint with
police on Thursday evening but an FIR was not registered after which the domestic workers organised a protest. On Friday morning, they were joined by domestic workers’ rights activists and submitted another police complaint, alleging attempt to murder, along with physical assault.
However, no FIR was registered till Friday evening. “Police has been delaying the process and trying to make the whole thing go away, without pressing any charges against the employer. I have been here for more than 20 hours and there is still no FIR,” said Nandita Bhatt, director of NGO Martha Farrell Foundation.
Police officials, when approached for a comment, said that they had received complaints from both sides.
“We have a complaint from the employer as well, alleging that she was hit by the
maid first and retaliated in self-defence. She has also produced a medical certificate from the Civil hospital. As of now, we have kept both the maid and the employer in preventive custody,” said Arvind Kumar, SHO, Sector 53 police station.
TOI tried reaching out to Chatwal’s father for a comment but he did not respond to messages or calls.
The members of DLF Westend Heights residents’ welfare association said the matter was between two individuals but they had got the maid medical support as soon as the matter surfaced.
Sources, however, said that the Chatwal family was living on rent and the owner had asked them to vacate the house and leave the society.
