Mangaluru: Trafficked nurse Jacintha's employer in Saudi refuses to send her back


Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Aug 27: The efforts of ministry of external affairs in bringing back Karkala nurse Jacintha Mendonca, who was trafficked as a bonded labourer to Saudi Arabia, seem to be turning futile as her employer is adamant that she will not send her back before she completes her two year contract. This means, that Jacintha has to work another eight months for her freedom.

In June 2016, Jacintha (47) was promised job as a house nurse in Qatar by travel agency Trio Tracks Travel, New Delhi but later sold to a Kafil (employer) in Saudi Arabia as a bonded labourer. When Jacintha’s plight was highlighted in the media, minister of external affairs Sushma Swaraj assured help in a ‘tweet’ and roped in Indian embassy officials at Saudi Arabia to take action.

Jacintha now works for a relative of her sponsor in Yanbu. Indian Embassy’s Consulate of Jeddah who took up the case, contacted the relative. However, she refused to send Jacintha back as she has not completed her two year contract.

Earlier, when the embassy had contacted her Kafil, he had made it clear that Jacintha won’t be allowed to return until 24,000 Saudi Riyal is paid to him.

On August 23, Jacintha’s daughter Velita had received a call from nurse in Yanbu saying that her mother has been brought to a health centre by Kafil’s family as she was suffering from severe weakness and headache. Jacintha had told the nurse to help her by contacting her family and told to tell that she was being starved and severely tortured.

On receiving this information, the embassy again called up Jacintha’s employer who confirmed that Jacintha was taken to a hospital but for a minor headache and has been given treatment.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Protection Foundation (HRPF), Udupi, which is working for safe return of Jacintha has slammed officials of Embassy of India, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) for not being able to take concrete action. Also, lethargic attitude is shown by the police in arresting agents who are responsible in selling Jacintha, says Foundation president Ravindranath Shanbhag to the media.

  

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Comment on this article

  • Rob Stan, Udupi / US

    Mon, Aug 28 2017

    My question is even after having so many procedures & protector of immigrant, how come the immigration agent at the airport allow Jacintha to leave India. I understand that she might be having ECNR status by being a nurse, then how come it was not verified for which job she was going to & what her salary would be. Home nurses cannot have the same salary as nannies. There should be a clear cut rule that people from one profession cannot be employed in other profession. Now the best option is to get hold of the main agent and let her get in touch with the sponsor and pay back the money for the remaining period and not more as requested.

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • alwyn, dubai

    Mon, Aug 28 2017

    such a big world with all modern technologies, contacts,power ,can anyone come forward to save Jacintha???please help her.

    DisAgree Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse

  • dk shetty, Mangalore/Oman

    Mon, Aug 28 2017

    Its shame that our Embassy officials in Saudi have become helpless.
    Imagine what a ordinary citizen or her relatives could here.
    Embassy has the authority to use power via Local Saudi ministry of foreign affairs and police.

    Saudi Police wont do anything unless they get a kick from their superiors, its so deplorable that a well educated nurse is sold as a maid/labourer. Sushma swaraj needs to do more here....
    - Get Embassy officials involve in extricating and sending her home- India
    - Ban This delihi based travel agency for life and jail the owners/employees for the crime
    -Our people must become smart and go through proper approved labour agencies not through such shady travel agencies

    Modiji do something here, you are the prime minister of India, if one of our citizens get into trouble or in danger you need to issue orders to Embasies to help our citizens.
    If this were to happen to a US citizen or European citizen, embassy officias will make sure their citizens are protected. Lets show to teh world our citizenz are not cheap here.

    DisAgree Agree [27] Reply Report Abuse

  • sri_elder, Karkala

    Mon, Aug 28 2017

    Your observations are correct. But government cannot pay 24k riyals .. It has to come from where? PM relief fund or budget expenses? Tomorrow during auditing they have to show bills? Where to adjust?

    So NRIs should come up with their own funds. So that needy people can be assisted on time. So nri and government work cordially and do that work..

    DisAgree [8] Agree [3] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Mon, Aug 28 2017

    24,000 Saudi Riyas for what ?
    Why is Modi quiet ...

    DisAgree [22] Agree [19] Reply Report Abuse

  • stan, mangalore

    Mon, Aug 28 2017

    be happy these cases are being highlighted / attended to on priority for the past 2-3 years...pl. note it is not easy to handle Gulf Countries...these situations need to be handled carefully...

    DisAgree [1] Agree [20] Reply Report Abuse

  • Subrahmanya Karkada, Vancouver/Canada

    Mon, Aug 28 2017

    Great help to Common people of India by Indian embassies abroad:
    All the Indian embassies in Gulf countries are very GOOD and KIND for common economic class Indians.
    Good stands for Good for Nothing and Kind in troubling as much as possible to get any small paper works to be required at embassy.
    one e.g. If one applies for passport renewal in Dubai/Abudahabi ..normally they say IT takes 2-3 months and they promote Tatkal and deliver within a week with Big amount of money.. Similarly they have lot of Kind services available..
    Similarly House rent contract in UAE...how many Indians troubled..?

    DisAgree [4] Agree [11] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rita, Germany

    Mon, Aug 28 2017

    It is really unfortunate that Jacintha has problem.Dear Jacintha please hold on for some months and you will be freed I suppose.I wish that some soft hearted person could help and free her.Hope she will survive till her bond is over,when she doesnt get food .situation is really very bad.Hope in future women will think thrice to go to certain countrys as a house nurse.who knows if at all even after two years she will be freed?what a situation .wish her good luck.

    DisAgree [3] Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • Ronald D, Udupi

    Mon, Aug 28 2017

    Which country our embassy or consulate is active? Demonstration of government job features! Anything more? For them and their family members it's a different story!

    DisAgree [1] Agree [14] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rob Stan, Udupi / US

    Sun, Aug 27 2017

    If this incident had happened in the US, then the cops would have arrested the Kafil from the most current location and put him/her inside jail & the former would have been given residency. The best example is the case of Khoraghade. The Kafil is also guilty for paying the agent to employ someone as a home nurse and made to do household chores & that too where there are so many people living in the same house.

    DisAgree Agree [15] Reply Report Abuse

  • Abdul Narayan D'Souza, Udupi

    Mon, Aug 28 2017

    That is a very big 'if' that you started your sentence with. Because if it was the US, Jacintha would not have been in the US in the first place. For this situation to arise vis-a-vis an Indian citizen, it had to be some Gulf country and not some western nation.

    DisAgree [8] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rob Stan, Udupi / US

    Mon, Aug 28 2017

    Why can't Jacintha be in the US? She is a qualified nurse by profession & if she comes here & clears RN/PN & then upgrades her studies and becomes a Nurse Practitioner or a specialist nurse then she would not earn much less than a MBBS doctor. There are so many of them here who have done that.

    DisAgree Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • Socialist, Udupi

    Mon, Aug 28 2017

    There might be many peoples who have upgraded their visa status in US. But before going to that country one should have complete / proper knowladge about what to do. Who will guide peoples like Mrs. Jesintha? Every one proudly tell ; IF you would have done that you could have got that.. this.. etc. But very rare case one will pop up and say.... hey you done this.. come i will help/guide you to reach to maximum top there are many oppotunities come this way.... .. So agents utilise this oppotunity to fool innocents.

    DisAgree Agree [4] Report Abuse

  • Abdul Narayan D'Souza, Udupi

    Mon, Aug 28 2017

    That is exactly my point. IF it was the US, Jacinta would actually be doing her nursing job rather than being enslaved by some arab sheikh. Then we would have never heard of this news article.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [4] Report Abuse

  • ad, Mangaluru

    Sun, Aug 27 2017

    Indians just go and slog abroad because our rupee is so low and converted riyals or dirhams looks huge amount. I think before taking up jobs abroad a better homework is needed by aspirants. One cannot just pack up an go and end up in huge troubles.Its sad that while Indians slog abroad for their daily bread Indian government does minimal unlike many governments to protect its citizens abroad. Its sad that jacintha is suffering and the employer is not a human ,forget the contract.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [23] Reply Report Abuse

  • Don, Mangalore

    Mon, Aug 28 2017

    If the Kafil (sponsor) says he is owed SRs. 24000.00 then he should prove that, and even if it is proven then those who took him money should be reimbursed. Perhaps, it is just a ploy to continue enslaving this woman.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • Socialist, Udupi

    Sun, Aug 27 2017

    Its very bad thing that Indian government & Indian embassy is helpless. Government is not able to protect our country peoples who are working outside. Really our saudi embassy doing nothing; even its not able to provide justiees for unpaid labours who are staying in KSA. No body knows why we have a embassy and high ranked government office as a embasider in KSA.!! In extreem situation our government will say" follow the law of land". If so ; khafils think Indian are like orphans - no one there to ask us if we do anything to them. Sad to say...Weak Indian government.

    DisAgree [3] Agree [30] Reply Report Abuse

  • Evans Christopher Sumitra, Udupi/ New York, USA.

    Sun, Aug 27 2017

    It is most unfortunate that nurse Jacintha is stuck up in Saudi. Now only this Indian government can try their level best to bring that ill treated nurse back. We very well know Sushma Swaraj has helped many Indian workers who have been duped by idiot agents.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [24] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Sun, Aug 27 2017

    Is Sushma out of the Country ...

    DisAgree [20] Agree [29] Reply Report Abuse

  • Alwyn, Canada

    Sun, Aug 27 2017

    Saudi will never improve and respect human beings. When anything happens to thier people it is human right issue or religion bias by others but they have a full right to do as they desire. Shame on you. Feel sad for the lady who is at the hands of these wild animals.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [45] Reply Report Abuse

  • ALLAN D SIL VA, Mangalore

    Sun, Aug 27 2017

    Dear Jacintha Madam,

    Relax and just pray to god, you will come out with the difficulties very soon what ever going through.
    24,000 Saudi Riyal Agent should pay.
    Need big lesson to the Agent who put our Jacintha in big trouble.
    All Dear Team,
    Don't leave the Agent till he pay the amount 24,000 Saudi Riyal.

    DisAgree Agree [37] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai

    Sun, Aug 27 2017

    Torture the agent who tricked her ...

    DisAgree [4] Agree [63] Reply Report Abuse

  • Dr Edward Lewis, Bejai/Mangalore

    Sun, Aug 27 2017

    Dr Ravindranath Shanbhag your efforts to bring back Jacintha will not go a waste. Our support is there with you. We have to fight with our government more as they are responsible that our citizens are not in trouble iut side our country. All the best.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [58] Reply Report Abuse

  • Bhat, Mangalore

    Sun, Aug 27 2017

    It's a clear case of slavery! I hope that our leaders persuade their Saudi counterparts in changing their archaic laws!! Wake up Saudi Arabia! I think there are lot of people similar to Jacintha, who are stuck in Saudi Arabia. Where are the human rights people like Amnesty international?

    DisAgree [3] Agree [44] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rathan, Mangalore

    Mon, Aug 28 2017

    Bhat
    Now you know that all so called "amnesty international or Human rights organisation all just name sake and NGO engaged in some other activities than helping these People
    These institutions r least bother about genuine sufferers instead they help Naxalites or anti govt agencies who are working to distabilze the
    elected Govts particularly in India and other developing nations

    DisAgree Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse

  • ramesh, dubai

    Sun, Aug 27 2017

    It is really unfortunate to see how the issues have not been resolved,but i would make it clear slamming of Indian embassy at Riyadh by HRPF is not at all acceptable.Indian embassy at Riyadh and jedah are one of the best and as per Saudi Law one cannot go back to respective unless kafil give permission.Indian embassy only can persuade kafil but final decision will be by Kafil only at Saudi. It is sad they cannot resolve the issue and may be government top leaders should be involved to persuade Saudi government to do something to release her from Kafil. For labors or house maid it is normal practice by Saudi unless contract finish they never let you go out of country.

    DisAgree [10] Agree [24] Reply Report Abuse

  • sri_elder, Karkala

    Sun, Aug 27 2017

    Really unfortunate..
    I strongly feel our central government should bailout and secure her release immediately on humanitarian grounds...

    DisAgree [4] Agree [63] Reply Report Abuse

  • Dr Mohan Prabhu, LL.D, QC, Mangalore (Kankanady)/Ottawa, Canada

    Mon, Aug 28 2017

    sr-elder, You are right. Help to Jacintha must come first, pay the amount of 24,000 as demanded for her release from bondage and bring her back, then go after the travel agent who facilitated the job on false promises, to recover the full amount and put the owner out of business barring him from ever opening another shop directly or indirectly.

    DisAgree Agree [2] Reply Report Abuse


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Title: Mangaluru: Trafficked nurse Jacintha's employer in Saudi refuses to send her back



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