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A Saudi family are accused of chopping off their female cleaner's arm when she tried to escape.

Kasturi Munirathinam lost her right limb in a brutal attack by her employers, according to relatives.

The 58-year-old worked for a Saudia Arabian family as domestic help, but allegedly suffered starvation and harassment.

But when she attempted to flee the household on Tuesday she was subjected to the vicious assault, it is claimed.

She is now recovering in hospital in the capital Riyadh, according to NDTV .

The Indian foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has slammed the incident on Twitter.

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She said: "This is unacceptable.

"Chopping of hand of Indian lady. We are very disturbed over the brutal manner in which the Indian lady has been treated in Saudi Arabia."

She added the matter had been taken up with the Saudi authorities, while the Indian embassy was in touch with Ms Munirathinam.

Her family in Tamil Nadu, south east India, says she was being tortured and starved by her employer.



"Kashturi's employer was angry after she told local officials about the harassment she was facing there - she was not even provided food," said her sister S Vijayakumari.

(Image: REUTERS/Peter Macdiarmid)

"When she tried to escape the harassment and torture, her right hand was chopped off by the woman employer.

"She fell down and suffered serious spinal injuries," she added.

Her son S Kumar told the BBC : "Ever since she went to work with this family in July, things were not alright.

"My mother was not even allowed to speak to us over the phone, she was not given proper food and was forced to work long hours."

(Image: AFP)

The family are asking the government to secure them compensation from the family, and also help pay any medical expenses.

Ms Munirathinam had only been in the county for three months,

Saudi authorities are yet to comment on the incident.