55-YO Woman Sold As Domestic Help In Saudi Arabia Returns To Punjab, Thanks To Sushma Swaraj

A woman from Punjab who was allegedly sold as a domestic help in Saudi Arabia, returned to India on Wednesday. External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, intervened in the matter and the woman was rescued.

Sukhwant Kaur, 55, who hails from Jalandhar, arrived at the international airport here where she was received by her family members, including her husband, and former Punjab ministers Manoranjan Kalia and Anil Joshi.

She revealed that she had flown to Saudi Arabia from India on a valid visa.

PTI

She told she had worked there as a domestic help for a month. When she asked about the wages, she was told that she has been sold to the family by the agent. After getting stuck there, Kaur narrated her tale to her husband over telephone. He approached the Ministry of External Affairs.

Kaur thanked Minister Sushma Swaraj and others who made her return to her homeland possible.

Thanks for bringing this to my notice. Sukhwant Kaur is returning home on 31 May 2017 at 0415 hrs by Flt G9406. https://t.co/jOSFcmFJA8

¡ª Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) May 30, 2017

Members of her family and residents of her Ajtani village near Nurmahal in Jalandhar district were also at the airport to receive 55-year-old Kaur who was sent to Saudi Arabia by a Delhi-based travel agency last year.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday thanked the External Affairs Minister for facilitating her return.

The woman, who was forced to work there as a slave, and was badly treated and also tortured, finally succeeded in returning home to be reunited with her family, with the external affairs ministry's active intervention.