The Noida Police on Wednesday evening arrested a woman who was seen in a viral video assaulting her domestic worker, PTI reported, citing a police spokesperson.
Shefali Kaul, who lives in the Cleo County Society residential complex in Noida Sector 121, was seen in the video dragging her domestic worker Anita out of an elevator.
Anita alleged that she was forced to stay at the Kauls’ home even as she wanted to quit working for them, NDTV reported.
Koul was initially booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 344 (illegal confinement beyond 10 days), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (insult), the police said. Now, charges under Section 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have also been added in the case.
The police had filed a case against Kaul on December 27 on the basis of a complaint filed by the father of the domestic worker, ANI reported.
Family members of the 20-year-old worker told India Today that Koul did not let her come home and used to beat her up regularly.
Her father told NDTV that Anita had a six-month work contract with the Kouls that ended on October 31.
“After the contract ended, my daughter wanted to leave her place but she did not let her go,” the father said. “She held my daughter hostage at her home where she assaulted her.”
Anita said that she had been beaten up by slippers after she ate a bar of jaggery at the Kouls’ home. She alleged that Koul had threatened to set her on fire and throw her from the roof.
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