Sushma Swaraj Jumps To The Rescue Of Hyderabadi Woman Sold And Tortured In Saudi Arabia

Yesterday, Sushma Swaraj directed the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia to 'rescue and repatriate' an Indian woman after reports of her being 'sold and tortured' reached the External Affairs minister.

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Swaraj, after citing a TOI report on Twitter, tweeted:

I saw this news item and asked for a report from @IndianEmbRiyadh which has been received. /1I https://t.co/Y0Fruh8YXM

¡ª Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) April 24, 2017

I have asked Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia to rescue and repatriate her to India at the earliest. /2

¡ª Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) April 24, 2017

I have asked @ProtectorGenGOI to proceed against the agent who sent her to Saudi Arabia. /3

¡ª Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) April 24, 2017

Salma Begum, the 39-year-old resident of Hyderabad, was allegedly sent to Saudi Arabia in January on a housemaid visa by two agents, Akram and Shafi. However, Begum's sponsor - to whom her agents sold her for Rs 3 lakh - soon began harassing and extorting her for marriage. Her refusal led the man to physically and emotionally torture her.

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Begum somehow managed to send a message across to her daughter and in the audio message, appealed to the Indian government for help.