TN maid's family stares at uncertain future, say kin

New Delhi, Nov 20  The family of the Indian housemaid whose hand was chopped off by her employer in Saudi Arabia was staring at an uncertain future due to financial problems even though the Tamil Nadu government had announced a relief of Rs.10 lakh for her, her family said.

Kashthuri Munirathinam was pushed into poverty by a Rs.25 lakh loan she took for her daughter's marriage, her sister said at the 'Women in the World' summit held here on Friday.

The 55-year-old maid's sister Vijayakumari said that she even sold off her house to repay the loan, but could arrange half the money only.

"Her husband is an asthma patient and cannot do hard work. The two daughters she married after raising loan were later divorced by their respective husbands. They are now back at their mother's home along with five children," said Vijayakumari.

"Her problems began within a week of her arrival in Saudi Arabia. She wasn't given food to eat. She also did not get salary for two months she worked there," the sister, who speaks only Tamil, said with the help of a translator.

"After she was informed by her son about a death in the family, she asked her employers to send her home but was refused permission," she said.

As government-appointed inspectors, who got to know of her ordeal during a random check, issued a warning to her employers, they were angry.

"She decided to run away, but was attacked as she was trying to escape by using a sari as a rope to get down from the building," said Vijayakumari.

"She was hit on her arm. She fainted and when she woke up in the hospital she found her hand had been amputated," the sister said.

After Kasthuri Munirathanam, 58, returned to Chennai on November 7 from Riyadh, Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said considering her poor financial condition, Rs.10 lakh had been deposited in her name in Tamil Nadu Power Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.

Jayalalithaa said a monthly interest of Rs.8,330 would be paid to Kasthuri, who hails from Vellore district, around 140 km from Chennai.

Kasthuri's son Mohan, who too can't do hard labour due to injured knees, said, "It was because of our poverty that she had to go abroad." 

"The family still has a loan to repay, and no earning member," added Vijayakumari.