Kochi domestic worker death: Flat owner finally arrested by police

The advocate who was accused of illegally confining his domestic worker, which later resulted in her death at an apartment in Kochi, was arrested by the police on Wednesday. The accused Imthiyaz Ahammed surrendered before the police. After recording the arrest, the police, however, let him go as the Ernakulam Sessions Court had on December 17 granted Imthiyaz Ahammed anticipatory bail.

Kumari, 55, from Salem in Tamil Nadu was working as a domestic worker at the apartment of Imthiyaz Ahammed. She died while trying to escape from the sixth floor balcony of Link Horizon flat. She had tied two sarees together and then tried to slide down from the sixth floor. Kumari, however, slipped and fell down sustaining fatal injuries. Kumari died in hospital on December 13, four days after she fell from the balcony. Following her death, Imthiyaz went absconding.

Kumari's husband Seeenivas has alleged that Imthiyaz had locked her up in the apartment and was tortured. He had also said that the advocate’s aide allegedly threatened him and offered him money to withdraw the case. Seenivas alleged that the aide took his thumb impressions on a blank sheet of paper after threatening him. Seenivas said that Imthiyaz had claimed that Kumari fell from the balcony while trying to escape after a robbery.

A case was registered against him under Sections 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 370 (trafficking of persons) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

While granting anticipatory bail, the court had observed that only section 370 IPC is non-bailable. The public prosecutor had argued in the court that it was not the first time Imthiyaz has been accused of torturing a domestic worker. In 2010, a case was registered against him for physically assaulting a 14-year-old girl who was employed as a domestic worker.