(Article updated on August 7. Lalita Kayi Kumar admitted that she was not married and had chained herself to the tree).
An American woman has been rescued after being allegedly chained to a tree and left to die by her ex-husband.
Lalita Kayi Kumar was found looking emaciated in a forest in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra after a shepherd heard her cries for help on Saturday (June 27), according to NDTV.
"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,” explained Amol Chavan, an inspector at Sawantwadi Police Station who was part of the rescue operation.
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Authorities reportedly found copies of her U.S. passport next to her, as well as Indian documentation indicating that she had overstayed her visa and had been living in India for ten years.
The woman was rushed to the hospital in Sawantwadi and later transferred to Goa Medical College Hospital.
She is now “out of danger,” officials said.
In a written statement, Kumar said she had spent 40 days tied to a tree without food
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Due to her weakened state, she was unable to speak to authorities and instead provided a written statement.
"She is not in a position to give her statement. She is weak as she has not eaten anything for a couple of days,” said Saurabh Agrawal, the superintendent of police of the Sindhudurg district.
Authorities reportedly suspect that Kumar was suffering from schizophrenia, as the prescription medication recovered from the scene suggests she was undergoing treatment for a psychiatric illness.
The woman later admitted that she had tied herself to the tree
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"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," the superintendent added.
The woman's note later proved to be false and was possibly a product of her hallucinations.
In reality, the U.S. citizen admitted that she was not married and had chained herself because she was distressed over her visa expiration and from running out of cash.
Lalita continues to show improvement, and her family in the U.S. have been informed of her condition.
“She eats, walks and also exercises. She is under treatment and we are also giving her some nutrients that her body was lacking,” said Dr. Sanghamitra Phule, superintendent of the psychiatric hospital where she is admitted.