The housemaid Jyoti Deepak Kharvi (20), rescued last week from her employers who are alleged to have tortured her brutally, wants justice. Among her things, she has told the police, boiling water was poured upon her twice. At other times, she was poked with knives, she adds. She worked with the family for almost a year, but the torture was reportedly confined for the last couple of months.
Today, the Sahar Citizens’ Forum is taking out a peaceful protest, wherein all the women from all the political parties along with major NGOs are also marching in support of the girl. Along with her employer, Dr Tanaz Irani, Jyoti has implicated the latter’s mother as well.
An FIR was lodged at the Oshiwara police station August 17, 2012, under Sections 323, 324, 341, 504 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). This is because Dr Irani lives in Oshiwara. However, the Sahar Citizen’s Forum has become involved because Jyoti lives with her mother in Sahar Village. Engaged in housework for a family in the area, Manjula spoke of her daughter’s plight to her own own employer who got in touch with former corporator and social activist from the area, Nicholas Almeida.
Speaking to ADC yesterday, Jyoti said, “I want justice. I loved my long hair. I was proud of it. It was forcibly chopped off by my employer. She has tortured me to an extreme. I was living in fear, but now I want justice. I was taking care of her two-year old baby, is this the way employers treat people when they hire their services to take care of their own child?”
“My employer, Dr Tanaz Irani, and her mother Gover, always taunted me for working slowly, and if they lost their temper, they used to poke me with knives. Once, they put a burning iron on my arms and another time, poured boiling water on my stomach. They recently poured boiling water on my thighs,” added Jyoti, with tears in her eyes.
Almeida, who is heading the peaceful protest on Tuesday said, “I was in touch with the girl, Jyoti while she was studying in Vasai. Her mother, Manjula is also engaged in household work and has chronic TB disease. However, whenever she visited Sahar village, I used to buy study materials to give her. It is very horrifying, what happened with this girl. Luckily she has escaped and survived. I do not understand how the girl was able to bear the torture.”
“The reason, we are taking out the protest is because the case registered by the Oshiwara police station is under all bailable sections. She is a tribal and the Bonded Labour Act needs to be applied by the police. More stringent Sections under the IPC like 307, 326 and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1976 (in respect of Scheduled Tribes), should have also been applied,” added Almeida.
We are also demanding a medical re-check as the wounds needs seem to be deep to be checked in to understand how deep these injuries are? “ the corporator said.
Vikrant Shirsat , PSI from Oshiwara Police station, said, “ We have been trying to trace the accused Irani and her mother. Dr. Tanaz’s husband is out of station. Our investigation is on and we have gathered some clues. We have done a medical check up of the victim and are waiting for the reports.”