Maid alleges rape by Indian diplomat

NEW DELHI: A 21-year-old maidservant of the ex-Indian deputy high commissioner of Kenya, Ketan Shukla, has alleged that she was repeatedly raped for three years while she was employed by him in Kenya. The woman, Geet (name changed), has alleged that she had accompanied Shukla, his wife and two children to Kenya in Feb 2007 after they had asked her to work as their maidservant there.

Delhi Police on Thursday said they had received the complaint at the Moti Nagar police station and were investigating it.''We have registered a case under IPC sections 376 ( rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) at the Moti Nagar police station after preliminary investigations found merit in the complaint. We have arranged for a medical examination of the woman and expect the report soon,'' said DCP (west) Sharad Aggarwal.

Meanwhile, the NCW has sought an action taken report from the MEA and Delhi Police on allegations of sexual exploitation, harassment, torture, threats and charges of withholding of salary by the victim. The victim came to the NCW office on Friday morning to submit a copy of her complaint following which the commission shot off a letter to the MEA. When contacted, cops denied they had been approached by the NCW. Reacting to the complaint, NCW chairperson Girija Vyas said it was a very serious matter and based on the ATR, the commission would initiate further action in accordance with law.

Talking to TOI, the victim said the torture began within three months of her arrival at Kenya. ''After the first couple of months went smoothly, he started making advances towards me and forced himself on me on several occasions. Since I was in an alien country and all my documents including my passport were in his possession, I was helpless. Moreover, he had warned me against making any complaints. Even after I tried approaching a few other Indian families living in the same area for help, the families were too scared to take any action.'' Geet belongs to a village in Jharkhand.

When TOI tried to contact Shukla, the calls went unanswered. However, he told a TV channel that he was being ''unnecessarily dragged into a fabricated case.'' Both Shukla and his wife are posted in Ahmedabad at present.

The victim is reluctant to undergo a medical test and maybe called again on Saturday.

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