GUWAHATI: A sub-divisional police officer got embroiled in a criminal case for physically assaulting her domestic help in Assam’s Sivasagar on Sunday. The victim has filed a formal complaint against Subhalakshmi Dutta.
The domestic worker, recounting her harrowing experience, registered her complaint at Nazira Police Station. In the complaint, the victim narrated how Dutta used to mat out inhuman treatment to her.
In response to the accusations, Director General of Police G P Singh, using a popular micro-blogging website, informed the public that a formal criminal case has been set in motion at Nazira.
He wrote, “Reference reported incident of assault of house maid at Nazira by a serving police officer – 1. A criminal case has been registered at Nazira and being investigated. 2. Assam Police Hq has ordered an enquiry into the allegation levelled (sic).”
To help the victim in her pursuit of justice, the Assam Tea Tribe Students’ Association (ATTSA) has taken a strong stance on the matter. The organisation is demanding a thorough probe and strict action against the police officer in question.
However, it’s imperative to note that a similar incident involving an ATTSA member made headlines earlier this month. On August 9, Moneswar Sawra, the organisational secretary of ATTSA’s unit in Tinsukia, was arrested for allegedly causing burn injuries to a 12-year-old domestic helper using hot water. The young victim, who had been in Sawra’s employment for just two months, suffered severe burns to her hand due to the incident.
In recent years, there has been a spike in numbers of cases of torture on domestic helps in Assam. In June, former Assam Minister Haji Abdur Rauf Chaudhury (85) and his wife have been arrested for allegedly torturing their 12-year-old domestic help at their home in the state’s Hojai district. The arrests came after Begum was seen hitting the girl in a video that went viral on social media.
