Indian MP’s wife held over death of maid

Jagriti Singh arrested for allegedly torturing her domestic help to death, and beating a minor.

An Indian politician’s wife has been arrested over the alleged torture and deadth of her maid and beating a child servant at the couple’s New Delhi home, Indian and international media report. 

Jagriti Singh, the wife of Dhananjay Singh, an MP from the regional Bahujan Samaj Party – was on Tuesday arrested after the death of maid Rakhi, 35, late on Monday.

Officers received a tip-off on Monday from the child servant about the maid, who was alleged to have suffered injuries to her head, stomach, arms and chest while working at the house.

The police have also questioned the MP. He denies any wrongdoing over the maid’s death.

“I got a call three days back from Jagriti that the maid was injured after she fell from the terrace,” the politician said on Tuesday.

“Yesterday evening, I got another call saying she has died, I rushed back from my constituency Jaunpur and called the police.”

The case comes just months after a teenage Indian maid was rescued from an upscale Delhi home by police and social rights campaigners, who said she had been slashed with knives and mauled by dogs.

Her employer, a senior executive for a major multinational company, is now on trial on charges of assault and illegal confinement.

In April last year, police arrested a wealthy couple, both doctors, who locked up their 13-year-old help while they went away on holiday.

She was rescued by firefighters when neighbours spotted her crying on an outside balcony.

India passed legislation in 2006 banning employment of children under 14 in households, roadside eateries and hotels, but the law is widely flouted in the country of 1.2 billion people.

Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies