The BJP has suspended its Jharkhand unit leader Seema Patra after she was accused of brutally abusing, torturing, and imprisoning her domestic help for eight years. The victim, identified as Sunita, has suffered dozens of injuries on her body as she was allegedly beaten with a hot pan and iron rods and was forced to lick the urine on the floor.
Sunita, whose teeth were also broken with an iron rod, was unable to stand on her own as she was locked in a room without food and water. She is currently undergoing treatment at RIMS in Ranchi.
#Terrible The brutality that happened to this tribal woman in Jharkhand is extremely painful, for eight consecutive years she was imprisoned and tortured, her teeth were blown out, she was given urine, she was burnt with iron rods several times. The accused must be hanged… pic.twitter.com/wk9NLG2tUB
— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) August 30, 2022
Ranchi Police rescued the victim from the BJP leader’s house in Ranchi on August 22. Seema Patra, who is also the wife of a retired IAS officer from Jharkhand, Maheshwar Patra, is yet to be arrested.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken cognisance of the incident.
Hailing from the tribal community, Sunita is a native of a village in Gumla. About 10 years ago, she was brought to work as a domestic help in the Patras’ residence. Later, she was sent to Delhi with the couple’s daughter Vatsala Patra. After Vatsala’s transfer from Delhi, Sunita came back to Ranchi at Seema’s house.
According to news agency IANS, Sunita had to clean her urine by licking it with her mouth if it accidentally went out of the room.
Reportedly, Patra’s son named Ayushman tried to help the victim and informed his friend Vivek Baski, who is a personnel department officer in the Jharkhand government, about the incidents at home. Then Sunita shared her ordeal to Vivek, who complained to the Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar Sinha following which Sunita was rescued.
Argora police station in Ranchi registered an FIR and said that Sunita’s statement will be recorded in the court under Section 164 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) if her condition improves.
(with inputs from IANS)
Read all the Latest News India and Breaking News here