Man responsible for getting BJP leader who abused help arrested says it's 'Moral duty'
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Ranchi: Seema Patra, a Jharkhand BJP politician who was arrested and then suspended for allegedly torturing her domestic help, was found out when her son sent a tip to a friend, who then called the police.
Disturbed by the woman's harassment, Ayushman Patra rushed to his friend Vivek Anand Baskey, a government official.
Vivek Baskey received a panicked call from his friend on August 2 informing him that a tribal girl was trapped in his house and needed to be rescued.
"It was around midnight on August 2, around 1:15 am. He called me and his voice was at a very high pitch. He was telling me, Baskey, please save that girl. He said Seema Patra was assaulting her in a terrible way," Vivek Baskey told NDTV.
"The mother also called at the same time, saying her son Ayushman is not in a good mental state and acting violent and all. And you need to do something," Mr Baskey said.
After arriving at their home, Mr Baskey claimed he was not permitted to enter.
Seema Patra flatly denied speaking with Mr Baskey.
Sending her son Ayushman to a mental health facility, according to the friend who is now the complainant, may have been an effort to protect herself.
The 29-year-old helper Sunita Khaka, who was starved, abused, and even made to lick urine off the floor, claims he saved her life.
"Being a responsible citizen, it was my moral duty to save that woman," said Mr Baskey.
Ayushman and Vivek Baskey had attended Ranchi's engineering college together. About ten years ago, they reconnected.
Ayushman also posted pictures on WhatsApp, which completely shocked Mr Baskey and led him to report a powerful politician to the police.
"This got my wife and I discussing. That something is going on. Ayushman was helpless or whatever and wanted me to save her," Mr Baskey added.
The housekeeper was saved after a second effort.
A day after footage of her employee alleging horrible mistreatment went viral, Seema Patra was detained this morning.
When the BJP leader discovered her son was attempting to assist Sunita, she allegedly admitted him to the Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry and Allied Sciences.
She explained to NDTV that she had admitted her son because he was ill when questioned why she had done so.
In response to the query of whether she had admitted Ayushman to the hospital after he revealed her horrifying abuse of the help: "I will answer all questions. You will have to wait."
She argued that she is blameless. "I've been framed. This is political," she said.
"Not at all. We did it very quietly," in response to Ms Patra's claim, Mr Baskey stated that they were aware of her husband Maheshwar Patra's status as a retired IAS officer.
When questioned about the woman's injuries, Ms Patra responded, "I am innocent."
The police transported the 29-year-old woman to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) for treatment after removing her from the Patras' residence, according to officials.