Ranchi, August 31: The Ranchi police on Wednesday arrested the now-suspended Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Seema Patra, a day after harrowing reports of the politician physically torturing her 29-year old domestic help. After a case was registered at Argora police station, Patra, wife of retired IAS officer Maheshwar Patra, was arrested under several provisions of the SC/ST Act and the Indian Penal Code.
The tribal woman, who is currently undergoing treatment at the RIMS, was confined by Patra at her house in Ranchi’s Ashok Nagar for the past eight years. Patra, who is also a member of national working committee of the BJP’s women’s wing, was suspended by her party on Tuesday after a video of her household help accusing her employer of inhumane treatment went viral. According to the local police, the victim was “made to drink urine” and “burnt with hot tawa”. She was in a state of mental trauma when she was being rescued last week, the police further added.
As the woman spoke about her ordeal in the video, her teeth appeared broken as she writhed in pain, unable to sit properly. Even after eight years of torture, the woman said that she was still unaware about why she was being punished daily. The woman’s in-laws had an inkling about her years-long torture. However, they were unwilling to take any action.
Ayushman, Patra’s son, turned out to be the domestic help’s saviour, revealed the woman, who was moved to tears while narrating Ayushman’s gesture. “I am only alive because of him,” she said in one of the videos.
The incident came to light when Ayushman’s friend, who is a government employee, informed the police about the situation. Soon after the video was released on Tuesday, the Raj Bhavan, releasing a statement, said, “Governor Shri Ramesh Bais has taken cognisance of the news of harassment of a domestic help Sunita in a very inhuman manner by Seema Patra, a resident of Road No.1 at Ashok Nagar, Ranchi and wife of a retired IAS officer. Expressing his displeasure, the Governor has asked the Director General of Police of the state as to why no action has been taken by the police against the guilty persons so far. The Governor has also expressed serious concern over the laxity of the police,” the statement added.
