In a shocking twist, an American woman who was found chained to a tree in a forest in western India has confessed to having shackled herself, mere days after accusing her “husband” of the harrowing act.
Discovery and initial allegations
Lalita Kayi Kumar, 50, was discovered by a shepherd on July 27 in a dense forest in Sindhudurg, approximately 450 km from Mumbai. Emaciated and tied up, Kumar was found after the shepherd heard “a woman screaming loudly” and raised an alarm.
“She was screaming like an animal,” the shepherd reported. Upon her rescue, the lady told police she had been without food or water for several days, and was so weak that she could only communicate by scribbling on a notepad.
“Injection for extreme psychosis which causes severe locked jaw and inability to drink any water. Need intravenous food, 40 days without food in forest,” she wrote, according to The Indian Express. “Husband tied me to a tree in a forest and said I would die there.”
Revised statement
However, in a surprising turn of events, Kayi later admitted to the police and doctors that she was unmarried and had tied herself up. Sindhudurg police superintendent Saurabh Agarwal stated that she was suffering from severe psychosis and hallucinations when she initially gave her statement.
Investigators revealed that Kayi confessed to purchasing the chains and locks herself, motivated by stress over her expired visa and lack of money. Dr. Sanghamitra Phule, superintendent of the psychiatric hospital, reported that her condition is improving.
“She eats, walks, and also exercises. She’s under treatment and we are also giving her some nutrients that her body was lacking,” Dr Phule told the BBC. The hospital has also managed to contact her family.
Personal belongings and legal proceedings
Upon her rescue, police found a copy of her passport in her bag, identifying her as a US citizen from Massachusetts. They also discovered documents linking her to an address in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a mobile phone, a tablet, and Rs 31,000 ($390).
While police are uncertain about the duration of her ordeal, Police official Amol Chavan, who was part of the rescue team, speculated that she had been there for at least two days. “When we discovered her, she was seriously dehydrated. It appears that she was stuck there for a minimum of 48 hours. Although she was mute,” he stated.
Background and initial claims
Kayi initially told police she had traveled to India to learn yoga and meditation and claimed to be married to a man from Tamil Nadu with whom she had a falling out. This led the Maharashtra police to register a case of attempted murder against her supposed “husband.”
