US woman rescued after 40 days chained in Indian jungle
Trigger warning: This article deals with violence against women and physical abuse.
An emaciated American woman was discovered bound to a tree in an Indian jungle, allegedly abandoned by her ex-husband.
Multiple publications, including local outlet Deccan Chronicle and the British newspaper The Times, reported that police found Lalita Kayi Kumar, 50, after a shepherd heard her cries in a jungle.
Police said she was tied to a tree with an iron chain and was also covered in dirt.
Authorities found copies of her United States passport, as well as Indian documentation showing she had overstayed her visa.
Kumar was rushed to Goa Medical College where attending doctors found she was suffering from psychiatric conditions. Police also found medical prescriptions in her possession.
An official said she isn't in a position to give a statement as she is very weak.
"She is weak as she has not eaten anything for a couple of days,” the Deccan Chronicle quoted the official as saying.
The husband, whom the authorities did not publicly identify, was named a suspect. Kumar accused him of tying her to the tree and leaving her to die following their domestic dispute. She had not eaten for 40 days.
Kumar's ex-husband is facing charges of attempted murder, acts endangering life or personal safety of others, and wrongful confinement.
It's not clear whether the US government is looking into the matter.
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If you are, or if you know someone being abused, don’t hesitate to seek help to stop the abuse.
The Philippine Commission on Women has shared important contact details if such abuses were to occur:
PNP Hotline: 177
Aleng Pulis Hotline: 0919 777 7377
PNP Women and Children Protection Center
24/7 AVAWCD Office: (02) 8532-6690
Email address: [email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected]