An American woman who was chained to a tree in a Maharashtra jungle and left for dead was rescued after a cattle herder heard her distressing cries for help.
Madam Lalita Kayi Kumar, 50, was found in a forest near Sonurli village, about 450km from Mumbai, on Saturday morning, reported the Press Trust of India. She had been tied to a tree with an iron chain.
Mdm Lalita, whose right leg was swollen, was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition. She was severely dehydrated, unable to speak at first and likely had not eaten for several days, reported the Lokmat Times.
It is unclear how long she was in the jungle, as the area experienced heavy rains recently. But, according to India TV, she told investigators her former husband chained her to the tree. She also claimed to have gone 40 days without food, though police said it appeared unlikely that she had been there that long.
The police said on Tuesday that they not able to record her statement as she is weak and has not eaten anything for a couple of days since her rescue.
A photocopy of her US passport as well as other documents, including an Indian identity card with a Tamil Nadu address, was recovered from her.
Police have launched an attempted murder case against her ex-husband. He also faces wrongful confinement charges.
A cattle herder found Mdm Lalita after he heard loud noises coming from within the dense forest.
Police arrived at the scene and used a cutter to break the chain and free her from the tree. She was rushed to a primary healthcare centre in Sawantwadi for treatment and later transferred to the Goa Medical College.
“Considering her mental and health condition, she was moved to Goa Medical College for advanced treatment. She is out of danger. Doctors treating her said she suffers from psychiatric problems. We have found medical prescriptions in her possession,” an official said.
Footage recorded from inside the hospital showed Mdm Lalita writing a note about her condition in which she claimed her former husband had left her in the forest after a domestic dispute.
Officials said Mdm Lalita was born in the US but had been living in Goa for “some time’”. She apparently relocated to India 10 years ago to study yoga and meditation in Tamil Nadu. Officials are trying to determine who she has been in touch with over the past few months.
