An 18-year-old Dalit woman, employed as a domestic help at the residence of Tamil Nadu DMK MLA I Karunanithi's son, Anto Mathivanan, and his wife Marlina, has come forward with disturbing allegations of physical torture and denial of medical care by her employers. The woman, as revealed in a video shared by the non-profit organization Evidence, disclosed that she had completed 12th grade and secured employment through an agent to work in Chennai.
According to her account, she had been working at the house for seven months, during which time her employers allegedly subjected her to physical assaults in various forms and failed to remit her wages. The woman tearfully recounted instances where she was slapped on the face for even minor mistakes. She shared a distressing incident where, due to an inability to prepare food as per their early morning departure plans, her employers reportedly burned her hands using a hair straightener.
Despite enduring such mistreatment, the woman asserted that her employers did not take her to the hospital, leaving her to address her injuries on her own. She claimed that she faced threats from the couple, who emphasized their connection to an "MLA's family" and warned her against seeking help.
The matter came to light when the woman returned home during Pongal, and her family observed injury marks on her body. Subsequently, they took her to a government hospital in Ulundurpet, prompting the hospital to inform the police about the situation. However, as of now, formal complaints from the woman or her family have not been received by the police.
In response to the allegations, DMK MLA Karunanithi refuted the claims, asserting that his son's family treated the woman well, celebrated her birthday, and supported her education, even providing her with jewelry. He suggested that the woman might be influenced by someone over the phone to make false accusations against his family. Karunanithi distanced himself from the incident, stating that he rarely visits his son's house and emphasized that the woman already had injury marks when she initially joined their household.
