A woman from Hyderabad's Pahadi Shareef has sought assistance from the Embassy of India in Muscat after alleging that she was exploited by her employer in Oman, where she had travelled for work as a domestic helper.
According to her appeal, Shabnam Begum travelled to Muscat on March 26, 2026, after a local recruitment agent allegedly promised her a housemaid job with a monthly salary of 200 Omani Riyals.
She alleged that after arriving in Oman, her employer compelled her to work in multiple households for 12 to 15 hours a day. She further claimed that she was denied proper food and accommodation and did not receive any salary during her four months of employment.
In a video sent to Hyderabad-based Majlis Bachao Tehreek leader Amjed Ullah Khan, Shabnam alleged that her employers forced her to work continuously while withholding her wages.
She also claimed that she was denied access to a mobile phone for nearly one-and-a-half months, physically assaulted and deprived of adequate food.
Appealing for help, she requested Amjed Ullah Khan to assist her in returning to India. She further alleged that the recruitment agent had taken possession of her passport and refused to return it.
Shabnam also claimed that although she had approached the Indian Embassy eight days earlier, no action had been taken at that stage. She alleged that nearly 130 other people were facing similar circumstances and appealed for urgent assistance.
Unable to endure the alleged abuse, she reportedly escaped from her employer and is currently staying at the Embassy of India in Muscat while seeking help.
Her family has appealed to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to direct the Indian Embassy in Muscat to ensure her safety and facilitate her early return to Hyderabad.
The family has also sought action against the recruitment agent, alleging that she was sent to Oman on the basis of false assurances regarding the job and working conditions.
Responding to the video, the Indian Embassy in Muscat said it had taken cognisance of the matter and was pursuing it with the relevant authorities to provide the necessary assistance.
Amjed Ullah Khan also called for action against the recruitment agent, alleging that Shabnam Begum had been sent to Oman under false promises of employment.
