An American woman, found chained to a tree and “screaming” in a forest in Maharashtra, India, was rescued last week.
Lalita Kayi, 50, was discovered in the dense forests of Sindhudurg district after her cries for help were heard by shepherds who alerted the police. Officers sawed off the chain and rescued her. Ms. Kayi, who appeared emaciated, was taken to a hospital where her physical health has since improved. On Friday, she was moved to a psychiatric facility for further treatment, according to doctors treating her.
In a written statement to the police, she alleged that her husband “chained her and left her in the forest to die without food or water.”
Police are searching for her husband in the southern state of Tamil Nadu based on the information she provided. However, seven days after Ms. Kayi’s rescue, many questions remain unanswered.
Pandurang Gawkar, a cow herder who found her, told BBC Marathi that he heard “a woman screaming loudly” while grazing his cattle. “The sound was coming from the forest on the side of the mountain. When I went there, I saw that one of her legs was tied to a tree. She was screaming like an animal. I called other villagers and the local police.”
Police found a copy of her passport, indicating she was an American citizen, and her Aadhaar card, an Indian unique ID, with her home address in Tamil Nadu. She also had a mobile phone, a tablet, and 31,000 rupees ($370; £290), ruling out theft as a motive.
Locals say it was fortunate that the shepherd chose a spot near her to graze his flock, as the forest is vast and she could have gone days without being heard.
Police initially took her to a local hospital before transferring her to a hospital in Goa. Dr. Shivanand Bandekar, dean of Goa Medical College, told The Indian Express that she had wounds on her leg and appeared to suffer from a mental health condition. “We do not know for how long she did not eat, but her vital signs are stable,” Dr. Bandekar said.
On Friday, her health had improved enough to be moved to a psychiatric hospital in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra. “Currently, her health is stable,” hospital superintendent Dr. Sanghamitra Phule told BBC Marathi. “She is taking medication, eating, and interacting with people. If she wants something, she can communicate it. She only knows English.”
