Parents cry foul in Lankan maid's death in Saudi

MOHAMMED RASOOLDEEN in Riyadh

The parents of a housemaid who died after allegedly falling from a two-story building in Makkah have complained of foul play to the Foreign Ministry in Colombo.

The maid, Habibullah Arifa, allegedly slipped through the window of a second-floor apartment in Makkah on April 11 and died on the spot, Sri Lanka Consulate in Jeddah, Consul General Sabaraullah Khan said Saturday.

The woman who came to the Kingdom on February 5 had told her father that she was being harassed all the time by the mistress of the house. The woman's father said in his letter to the Foreign Ministry when his daughter was speaking to him by phone, telling him of her ordeal, the mistress grabbed the phone and told him that she was not doing any work.

Based on the father's complaint, the diplomat said the mission had called for a full-scale investigation into the death.

"We are waiting for medical and forensic reports to clarify the matter," Khan said.

Saudi sponsor Hamdhan Mohammed Al-Harbi, said the maid died when she tried to escape through the window.

Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLBFE) Chairman Kingsley Ranawake told the Daily News that his establishment which coordinates Lankan overseas workers, is investigating into the issue of the woman's alleged forged passport.

"We have taken up the task with the employment agent, who was instrumental in the whole operation," he said, pointing out that if found guilty, he would face severe punishment.

The chairman also said that the Immigration Department was in the process of introducing finger prints in Sri Lankan passports to avoid such problems in the future.