An American woman was discovered chained to a tree and left to die in a forest far from her home country.
Lalita Kayi Kumar was found in India, where she has reportedly lived for over ten years, with an iron chain securing her to a tree.
The 50-year-old was located in a forest in Maharashtra, specifically in the coastal Sindhudurg district, an area known for its significant tiger population. She was found more than 500 miles from her residence in Tamil Nadu.
Officials discovered a copy of her US passport along with other ID cards and medical prescriptions in her possession; it was also noted that her visa had expired.
Indian police have launched an attempted murder investigation and registered a case against her ex-husband, who has not yet been located, as Kayi recovers in a hospital in Goa.
She was found on the evening of Saturday, July 27, after a Shepherd heard her cries for help. Despite suffering from lockjaw, she managed to explain her situation via a distressing note while in the hospital.
The Shepherd immediately alerted the police upon seeing her chained to the tree.
Speaking to NDTV, Saurabh Agrawal, Superintendent of Police of Sindhudurg district, stated: “Based on the note written by the woman at the hospital, a case has been registered against her former husband on charges of attempted murder, act endangering life or personal safety of others and wrongful confinement under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).”
Kayi has yet to provide a formal statement to the police.
So, what did her note say?
“Injection for extreme psychosis, which caused sever locked jaw and inability to drink any water,” she wrote.
“Need intravenous food later – 40 days without food in the forest – husband tied me to a tree in a forest.”
Intravenous feeding is often used when the digestive system cannot properly absorb nutrients, typically in cases of severe malabsorption disorders.
Agrawal added: “Police are also trying to verify if the woman’s claim that she was chained by her former husband was genuine. We are verifying every claim and information in the note written by her.”
Amol Chavan, an inspector at Sawantwadi Police Station, was the officer who found her.
He said: “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.”