Sri Lankan maid killed herself, Saudi police confirm

Arar police said on Monday the death of a Sri Lankan maid in Al-Jouf, Saudi in January was a case of suicide. The Sri Lankan Embassy confirmed the report.

The woman was identified as Dilini Kumari, 26, from Nattandiya, a coastal town some 50 km from Colombo. The maid, who came to the Kingdom on Aug. 8, 2009, had been working for a Saudi family in the northern town of Arar. The death occurred on Jan. 12, 2011.

The autopsy report, which was released on Monday, said the maid consumed a bleach used for cleaning.  The maid’s sponsor said the woman did not experience any problems and that her work was satisfactory.

Police said the maid was being paid her salaries regularly.

“The sponsor had agreed to pay any dues owed to the maid,” said the police.

The Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh is making arrangements with the concerned authorities to repatriate the body home by next week.

This is the third death of a Sri Lankan maid in Al-Jouf province in four months. Two other maids — Pushpavalli Selladurai and Pavani Devi Sinnaiyah — were allegedly killed by their Saudi employers. According to the embassy records, there have been five such murders in last two years in the same region, Arab News reports.