Bathiudeen’s wife, father-in-law arrested, brother-in-law arrested for raping another domestic helper

Three persons including the wife and father-in-law of former Minister Rishad Bathiudeen have been arrested in connection with the death of a 16-year old domestic aide at the former minister’s house, police said.

Police Spokesman SDIG Ajith Rohana said that 46-year old Sheyabdeen Ayesha, her father 70-year-old Mohammed Sheyabdeen and the broker who brought the girl to Bathiudeen’s house were arrested accordingly.

He said the Borella Police, the Divisioanal Children and Women’s Bureau and Colombo South Divisional Crimes Detective Bureau are conducting investigations into the death of the girl.

The girl, a resident of Dayagama Estate, off Talawakellewas admitted to the Colombo National Hospital on July 3 with burn injuries while working as a domestic aide at the former minister’s house and had died on July 15.

The spokesman said that the arrested suspects would be detained for 72 hours for further questioning.

The Police have recorded over 20 statements from different persons in connection with the death.

Meanwhile, SDIG Rohana said the 20 statements included the statements from two women aged 22 and 32 who served as domestic workers at the former minister’s house. The both women are residents of Dayagama area.

It was revealed that the 22-year old woman was sexually harassed since 2015 to 2019 at the former minister’s residence at Mackenzie Road in Colombo by Bathiudeen’s brother-in-law.

Accordingly, the police also arrested the 44-year old brother-in-law of former minister Sheyabdeen Ismadeen over the charges of raping the women.