Forced to work 15 hours a day without pay, Hyderabad woman stranded in Oman seeks govt's help to return home

Her family alleged that she was not provided proper food or accommodation, and did not receive any salary during her four-month stay in Oman.

A Hyderabad woman has appealed for help to return to India after allegedly being exploited while working as a domestic worker in Oman.

The woman, identified as Shabnam Begum, a resident of Pahadi Shareef, Hyderabad, travelled to Muscat on March 26 after she was allegedly offered a housemaid's job by a local agent, identified as Arshad, who promised her a monthly salary of 200 Omani Riyals, as per her family's appeal, India Today reported.

According to the appeal, Shabnam was reportedly taken to an office upon her arrival in Muscat and was subsequently sent to work at different households. Her family alleged that she was forced to work 12 to 15 hours a day, was not provided proper food or accommodation, and did not receive any salary during her four-month stay in Oman.

The family further alleged that Shabnam fled her employer about 15 days ago after enduring "unbearable torture" and has since been staying at the Embassy of India in Muscat.

A video purportedly recorded by Shabnam has also surfaced on social media, in which she says she is the mother of four children and alleges that she was denied access to a mobile phone, forced to work day and night, and was not paid for her work.

Her family reportedly has urged the Ministry of External Affairs and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to facilitate her safe repatriation to Hyderabad and take strict action against the agent who allegedly sent her to Oman.

However, HT could not independently verify the allegations made by the woman and her family.

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