A 40-year-old woman was arrested by the Gautam Budh Nagar Police on Tuesday for allegedly abusing her 20-year-old domestic helper and confining her in a high-rise flat in Noida’s Sector 121.
Anita, a domestic helper from Noida’s Garhi Chaukhandi village, tried to leave her employer Shefali Koul’s fourth-floor apartment in the Cleo County Society on Monday, which is when the event was discovered. However, witnesses reported seeing her to the police, who sent a squad to the scene, according to the police. Anita’s family was then notified of the situation before being led to the police station.
Social media websites have reported seeing purported CCTV evidence of Koul, an advocate, allegedly hitting Anita in an elevator a week ago.
Police said Anita’s father Padam Singh submitted a complaint at the Phase 3 police station on Monday evening against Koul. According to the complaint, Anita had been working at Koul’s house for the past six months. “My daughter worked at Koul’s house and their agreement expired on October 31. However, Koul did not let Anita leave the house and forced her to continue to work. She took away my daughter’s phone and assaulted her and forced her to do all household work. When Anita refused to work and asked to go home, Koul assaulted her and thwarted all her attempts to escape,” Singh’s complaint said.
Based on the complaint, Koul was booked under Indian Penal Code sections 344 (illegal confinement beyond 10 days), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (insult), the police said.
Anita allegedly suffered numerous wounds as a result of Koul hitting her with a stick, according to Singh.
“Anita has been sent for a medical evaluation, and the proper course of action will be followed. According to Saad Miyan Khan, additional deputy commissioner of police for Central Noida, no arrests have yet been made in connection with the case.