Mystery surrounds US woman, Lalita Kayi, found chained to a tree in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district. The 50-year-old was discovered a week ago by shepherds who heard her screams and alerted the police.
After being rescued, Kayi, who was severely emaciated, was taken to the hospital and later transferred to a psychiatric facility for further care. In a statement, she claimed her husband had abandoned her in the forest, but authorities are still investigating her identity, how she ended up in the forest, who chained her, and the reasons behind it.
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Pandurang Gawkar, a cow herder, discovered Lalita Kayi last Saturday while grazing his cattle in the forest. He heard her loud screams and found her with one leg chained to a tree, screaming desperately. He then alerted local villagers and police.
Police found her American passport and Aadhaar card, indicating she was from Tamil Nadu, along with a mobile phone, tablet, and 31,000 rupees ($370; £290), which ruled out theft as a motive. The shepherd’s timely discovery was crucial, as the vast forest might have otherwise prevented anyone from hearing her cries.
Initially taken to a local hospital, Kayi was later transferred to a facility in Goa, where Dr. Shivanand Bandekar noted her wounds and a possible mental health condition. By Friday, her condition had improved enough for her to be moved to a psychiatric hospital in Ratnagiri district, where Dr. Sanghamitra Phule reported that she is stable, eating, and able to communicate in English.
Police have discovered that Lalita Kayi, formerly a ballet dancer and yoga practitioner from America—reportedly Massachusetts—moved to India around a decade ago to study yoga and meditation in Tamil Nadu. There, she met her husband, known in some reports as Satish. Police believe she eventually had a falling out with him.
Kayi is said to have stayed in a hotel in Goa for two days before traveling to Mumbai, but the details of how she ended up in the forest remain unclear. Initially unable to speak, Kayi communicated with authorities by writing notes, accusing her husband of chaining her to the tree and claiming she went without food or water for 40 days. She also alleged that an injection for extreme psychosis had locked her jaw, preventing her from drinking.
Police have found her claims difficult to verify, especially the survival without food or water for such a long period. They have filed an attempted murder case against her husband and are investigating further in Tamil Nadu, Goa, and Maharashtra. Her husband remains unlocated and has not spoken to the media. The investigation is ongoing, with the US embassy in Delhi reportedly pressing for progress, though it has not commented due to privacy regulations.
