Hyderabad woman alleges abuse in Oman, seeks help to return home

A 26-year-old woman from Hyderabad has appealed for help after alleging that she was forced to work for up to 15 hours a day without pay while employed as a domestic worker in Oman. She has sought the intervention of the Indian government to facilitate her return. 

The woman, identified as Shabnam Begum, said she travelled to Muscat on March 26 after a local recruitment agent promised her a housemaid's job with a monthly salary of 200 Omani riyals. However, she alleged that after reaching Oman, she was made to work in multiple houses for long hours and was not paid for more than three months. 

In a self-recorded video sent to Hyderabad-based politician Amjed Ullah Khan, Begum claimed she was denied access to a mobile phone for nearly one-and-a-half months, subjected to physical abuse, deprived of proper food and tortured by her employers. 

Unable to endure the alleged abuse, she said she escaped from her employer's residence and reached the Indian Embassy in Muscat. Begum further claimed that her passport had been taken away by the recruitment agents, leaving her stranded in Oman. 

Amjed Ullah Khan urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to ensure Begum's safety and arrange her immediate repatriation to Hyderabad. He also sought action against the recruitment agent who allegedly lured her abroad with false promises of employment. 

Responding to the appeal, the Indian Embassy in Muscat said it had taken cognisance of the matter and that the case was being pursued at the appropriate levels.