Mumbai: House help arrested in 2016 acquitted in theft case

House help who was arrested in 2016 in a theft case

A 42-year-old house help, who had been arrested in 2016 by the Marine Drive police on theft charges, was acquitted by the court on June 30. The woman has alleged that her NRI employer withheld her salary for six months, which ultimately led to her false implication in the theft case. In response, the Marine Drive police have initiated an investigation into the matter. The house help, residing in Borivli, had been employed at the NRI's house in Marine Drive.

The NRI accused the house help of stealing gold ornaments worth Rs 25,000, cash amounting to Rs 21,000, sunglasses worth Rs 4,000, a ghagra set worth Rs 30,000, and four leather jackets worth Rs 30,000. However, the court deemed these allegations false.

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According to police officers, on June 24, 2016, the complainant filed an FIR against both her helpers - one would be on duty the entire day while the other's work timings was 9 am to 4 pm. Between May 5, 2016, and June 2, 2016, while the complainant and her family were in Australia, only these two individuals were in her home. Upon their return, the complainant noticed missing articles, suspecting the house helps and registering the FIR under Section 381 of the Indian Penal Code. One house help still remains in jail.

Advocate Sunil Pandey

As part of the investigation, witness statements were diligently recorded, and both helpers were apprehended. Panchanamas were conducted to document the scene, disclosure statements were recorded from the accused, and the seized articles were carefully documented. Subsequently, the chargesheet was presented to the court, resulting in the conviction of both helpers.

Speaking to mid-day, the 42-year-old house help stated, "I worked at their house for over 12 years, receiving a monthly salary of Rs 12,000 for cooking. They stopped paying me for six months, and when I decided to leave, they falsely implicated me and filed an FIR. I spent several days in jail before being released
on bail."

Advocate Sunil Pandey said, "This house help was falsely implicated, held hostage, and subjected to harassment by the NRI couple who refused to pay her salary. Sadly, there is no law to protect helpers from such mental torture."

"The delayed FIR registration, instances of harassment, and house help leaving their jobs raise concerns. The lack of independent witnesses and reliance on the complainant's witness cast doubt on the prosecution's credibility. The prosecution failed to present available CCTV footage or the stolen articles, which were with the complainant. These factors highlight the vulnerability of helpers and their susceptibility to manipulation by influential individuals,"
Pandey added.

42
Age of the house help