India’s foreign ministry has complained to Saudi Arabian authorities after the arm of a 58-year-old Indian woman was allegedly chopped off by her employer in Riyadh.

Kasturi Munirathinam lost her right arm in an attack last week, when she attempted to flee from a house where she had been working as a domestic servant last week.

Her family claims that she had been tortured by her Saudi employers, and that they cut her arm off as punishment for complaining about the harassment and trying to escape.

Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said:

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

“This is unacceptable. We have taken this up with Saudi authorities. Our embassy is in touch with the victim.”

Saudi authorities have not commented on the incident.

Munirathinam’s case is the latest in a series of reported incidents of abuse by Saudi employers on their domestic staff, who often come from the Indian subcontinent.