A 35-year-old Maldivian has been arrested in L. Gan on allegations of inhumane actions against an expatriate worker.
According to police, they are investigating a case where an expatriate worker was subjected to physical abuse and starvation. The victim's salary for the last 6 months was also withheld, said police.
Police said their investigations have confirmed that the suspect, who was arrested, is the victim's sponsor. They noted that a case was lodged with the L. Gan police station during the first week of June.
Police further revealed that, in addition to starving, electricity in the victim's room was cut-off at 10 p.m. every day. Police said there were signs of physical abuse on the victim's body.
The suspect was arrested on June 11, under a court order. He was issued a 5-day detention period when produced in court.
Police noted that most expatriates are people who have left their families and home in order to work in Maldives and that they face many similar acts of cruelty, including having their wages withheld. They said that cases such as these would be investigated jointly with the relevant authorities.