Domestic help commits suicide at placement agency after being left jobless due to language barrier

A 27-year-old woman who worked as a domestic help allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the third floor of a placement agency in south Delhi’s Tughlaqabad Extension on Monday morning, police said.

Chinmoy Biswal, deputy commissioner of police (south-east), said the woman appeared to be disturbed as she had been sacked from two homes she worked at because of language issues and dissatisfaction with her work. “It also emerged that she suffered from some mental disorder,” said the DCP.

The woman belonged to West Bengal and had arrived in Delhi to work as a domestic help towards the end of August. She had been hired twice through a placement agency, but was told to leave work within days on each occasion, the DCP said.

“The first time it was in Ghaziabad and then in Sarita Vihar. Her employers found it difficult to communicate with her due to language barrier and they did not like her work,” said the DCP.

Left without work, she was brought back to the placement agency on Friday, Biswal said. “Around 7 am on Monday, she jumped to her death from the third floor of the same building,” the DCP said.

The officer said prima facie there is no foul play. “At least half-a-dozen other domestic helps were present when she allegedly committed suicide,” said the DCP.