A 50-year-old American woman was discovered chained to a tree in a forest in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district. The woman, identified as Lalita Kayi, was found with several documents, including an Aadhaar card with a Tamil Nadu address and a photocopy of her US passport, a police official reported on Monday.
The woman was found on Saturday by a shepherd in Sonurli village, located approximately 450 km from Mumbai. The shepherd alerted the authorities after discovering her.
Police suspect that Lalita’s husband may have bound her to the tree before fleeing. She appeared frail and had prescriptions for mental health issues in her possession. Lalita had been residing in Tamil Nadu, where her husband is originally from, for the past decade, and her visa had expired.
According to a police official, “She is currently unable to provide a statement due to her weakened state, as she had not eaten for several days. Additionally, the area where she was found had experienced heavy rainfall, so we are unsure how long she was tied to the tree.” No formal case has been registered yet, noted Saurabh Agrawal, Superintendent of Police for Sindhudurg district.
The woman was initially taken to a hospital in Sawantwadi and later transferred to Goa Medical College Hospital due to her poor health and mental condition. She is now reported to be out of danger.
