An American woman found chained to a tree in the Indian jungle had chained herself, police said.
Lalita Kayi Kumar, 50, was found about 10 days ago in a dense forest near Sonurli village, about 450 kilometres from Mumbai, after A local shepherd heard her disturbing cries for help.
She was taken to a local hospital, where she wrote a message describing some of her ordeal, accusing her “husband” of, among other things, leaving her in the woods for 40 days.
Kayi Kumar, who is being treated at a psychiatric facility, has now admitted that she is not married and was probably suffering from hallucinations when she gave her statement to the authorities, police told the BBC.
She also reportedly told detectives she bought the locks and chain and chained herself to the tree because she was “panicked” that her visa had expired and she was running out of money.
Lalita Kayi Kumar, 50, was found tied to a tree in a dense forest near Sonurli village, about 450 kilometres from Mumbai, about 10 days ago
A local herder found Kayi Kumar, who looked emaciated, on July 27 after he heard “a woman screaming loudly” in the forest.
“When I went there, I saw that one of her legs was tied to a tree,” her rescuer recalled. “She was screaming like an animal. I called other villagers and the local police.”
Police cut the chain and took her to a local hospital where she was treated for various conditions, including dehydration. She was later transferred to a psychiatric facility.
Officials at the scene found a copy of her passport, which showed she was a US citizen from Massachusetts, and a national identity card showing her residential address in Tamil Nadu.
She also had a mobile phone, a tablet and 31,000 rupees ($370) with her.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
