SR40,000 blood money given to kin of Lankan maid

28 May 2011 04:44 am

The family of a Sri Lankan maid who was murdered by a Saudi sponsor's wife received SR40,000 as compensation for the death, the Sri Lankan Embassy told Arab News.

The autopsy report of the maid, identified as 36-year-old Pospawalli Selladurai, revealed that she had been murdered.

Al-Jouf police arrested the woman, who is still in remand. She will be released as soon as the paper work is completed following the payment of blood money, which amounts to about $10,650.

“The amount was the best we could extract from the convicted party,” a Sri Lankan diplomat explained on condition of anonymity. He also said the court could later order a lesser amount of money paid.

Earlier this week it was reported that a Saudi woman in Abha — with the help of charitable contributions — paid SR110,000 (about $29,300) in blood money for murdering her Saudi husband.

“We are thankful to the Saudi authorities, who extended their fullest cooperation in this case. It helped the mission repatriate the body home in deference to the wishes of her next-of-kin,” the diplomat said.

Saroja Selladurai, sister of the deceased maid, told Arab News: “What happened to my sister should not happen to any other maid in Saudi Arabia.”

Saroja said her sister's death was an irreparable loss to her family, which is now burdened with the upbringing of the four children survived by the maid. (Arab News)