Jharkhand Police on Wednesday arrested former BJP leader Seema Patra for allegedly torturing her domestic help, a 29-year-old woman belonging to the Scheduled Caste community.
Minister of Transport, Scheduled Tribe, Scheduled Caste and Backward Class Welfare Champai Soren also confirmed the arrest and said the government would ensure a speedy trial of the case. “Ranchi Police arrested BJP leader Seema Patra today morning for torturing Sunita Khakha. The victim is currently undergoing treatment and after that she will be provided with all possible help from the government. We will deliver justice to the victim through speedy trial,” the Jharkhand minister tweeted on Wednesday.
The Police on Tuesday confirmed that they had rescued a 29-year-old woman on August 22 after she was allegedly physically tortured by her employers. She was working as a domestic help at the residence of Maheshwar Patra, an ex-IAS officer.
The maid alleged that the former BJP leader, who was also a member of the National Working Committee of the BJP women’s wing, beat her with rods and an iron pan. She was also forced to lick urine off the floor. “I have throat issues. What you heard is exactly what happened to me. Madam used to beat me up when I used to make a mistake while working,” she said.
After she was rescued, the house maid was taken to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), where she is undergoing medical treatment. The BJP suspended Patra on Tuesday after a video of the victim went viral alleging that Patra tortured her and gave her no food and water for days.
Meanwhile, the BJP Jharkhand unit distanced itself from its former leader and said on Wednesday that the party has “zero tolerance” for “atrocities against SC and ST communities”. “BJP has zero tolerance for atrocities against SC and ST communities. When the incident regarding the brutality of a maid working in BJP leader Seema Patra’s house came into the public domain, the BJP state president immediately suspended her,” said the BJP in a statement.
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Babulal Marandi also visited the victim at RIMS on Wednesday. He called the incident extremely painful and demanded a fast-track inquiry into the case. “I visited the victim, it is so painful to see her like that. I can’t even imagine that someone can be this demonic. There is absolutely no space for such inhuman behaviour,” Marandi said.