Jharkhand BJP leader Seema Patra makes domestic help lick urine from floor, NCW steps in
Seema Patra is a member of the BJP's women's wing's national working committee. Maheshwar Patra, her husband, is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. Patra is also the state convenor of the Centra; government’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign, according to her Facebook profile.
The National Commission for Women on Tuesday took cognizance of media reports of suspended Jharkhand BJP leader Seema Patra brutally assaulting and harassing her domestic help. Patra is a member of the BJP's women's wing's national working committee. Maheshwar Patra, her husband, is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. Patra is also the state convenor of the
Central government’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign, according to her Facebook profile. The NCW said it has written to the Jharkhand police chief for a fair investigation and sought the woman's arrest if allegations are true. Earlier in the day, the BJP suspended Patra as visuals of the abuse sparked an outrage among the public, with people calling for Patra's immediate arrest. Deepak Prakash, the president of the Jharkhand BJP unit, issued the suspension orders.
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According to a post shared by The Dalit Voice, the domestic help was kept at the Patra household and tortured for eight years. She was beaten with a hot ‘tawa’ (pan) and metal rods and was compelled to lick the floor's urine, the Twitter page said. In a video shared in the post, the woman is seen lying on a hospital bed making a desperate attempt to utter a few words to a man speaking to her. Her teeth are broken and bruises on her body point to repeated attacks, according to several media reports.
According to Hindustan Times's sister publication, Live Hindustan, Sunita, a resident of Gumla in Jharkhand, started working for the Patras about 10 years ago. She travelled to Delhi with Vatsala, the Patras' daughter, to work as her housekeeper. About four years ago, both Vatsala and Sunita returned to Ranchi.
According to the tribal woman, Patra tortured her and subjected her to "punishment" over the course of the next six years, but she was did not know the reasons behind these actions or what she had done wrong. Sunita was saved by Ayushman, Patra's son.