Teenage domestic help commits suicide

Neighbor S Mangamma, who stays beside the deceased home, showing the hut where Manga, a 16-year-old minor maid Manga comitted suicide hanging herself at Alkapuri Colony in New Nagole in Hyderabad. it is reported that Police taken at least Rs 2 lakh bribe to close the case 

Locals allege her elderly employers had been harassing the girl with accusations of stealing sarees

A teenage maid servant committed suicide due to alleged harassment by her employers, who accused her of stealing sarees.

16-year-old D Manga was working as a maid servant in the house of a retired FCI officer Haridarshan and his wife Sashirekha. After her mother's death, Manga was forced to take up work to support her family, which consisted of her father and brother. She had reportedly discontinued her studies and joined as a domestic help in the elderly couple's house, a couple of years back for a salary of Rs 800.
Manga and her parents had migrated to the city for livelihood from Choutapur village in Kurkancharla mandal of Rangareddy district. They lived in a temporary hut at Alkapuri Colony near Nagole. Her father, Chandraiah was a daily wage worker in the sanitation wing of the GHMC. But it is learnt he was irregular in his work.
"Manga had impressed the retired couple with her work. They had promised to increase her salary in the near future and also assured to lend a helping hand in her marriage by giving gold ornaments," S Mangamma, a relative of Manga told Expresso.
Locals allege that police did not take any action against the elderly couple. Mangamma alleged the couple had paid a bribe of Rs 2 lakh for not taking action against them. In their preliminary investigation, police have found that Manga was only being suspected for theft of valuables but the couple did not lodge a formal complaint.
"The girl might have hanged herself as she was afraid of the couple threatening to lodge a case,'' said Md Maqbool Jani, sub-inspector of LB Nagar police. He dismissed allegations of police being bribed. Jani said they had arrested the accused Haridarshan but his wife was absconding. Police have registered a case of abetment to suicide under Section 306 of IPC against the couple.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com