TIPTUR (TUMAKURU): AN emaciated Srilakshmi sits on a corner bed at the women’s ward of Tumakuru District Hospital. She was rescued on Friday after over a decade of being locked up inside her house in Sarthavalli village. Sitting below on the ground is her 66-year-old mother Gangamma, allegedly responsible for keeping her and her elder sister Bhagya captive. Bhagya died of malnutrition a few days ago.
Srilakshmi barely stirs when someone approaches and looks well above 50, though she is aged 37. All skin and bones, she has been diagnosed with severe depression. She neither makes any eye contact nor is she able to follow any commands, her medical statement reads. While villagers blame Gangamma for her daughters’ tragedy, she places the blame on witchcraft and relatives. “My own brothers are planning to usurp our wealth and used black magic. This is all a consequence of this,” she said.
When asked why she kept her daughters captive, resulting in Bhagya’s eventual death, she said it was illness that killed her daughter. “She couldn’t swallow anything. Her legs and hands had swollen, making it impossible for her to move. Despite my repeated pleas, she insisted that she would go to the doctor only if her father returned,” she said. “They forced my husband to leave me, killed my son and are now doing this to us,” she added.
However, villagers say Gangamma’s husband turned into a monk about 20 years ago and rarely visits his family. It was after her husband left her that she grew more protective about her daughters.
Villagers complain that Gangamma was extremely paranoid. “She wouldn’t buy any grains or vegetables from any shops in the village. It is as if she wouldn’t trust anyone, despite the fact that we are all family and are related one way or the other,” said Srinivas, a resident of the village. She wouldn’t even let her cows stray outside her land and was very abusive to others, he said.
While both the girls had passed SSLC and were working in a local baking unit, Gangamma’s paranoia forced them out of work. “Gradually her daughters grew depressed. Probably that’s what made the elder daughter to stop eating altogether,” he contended.
The 37-year-old Srilakshmi, who was rescued on Friday after being locked up inside her house by her mother Gangamma in Sarthavalli village, has been diagnosed with severe depression. The 66-year-old Gangamma is responsible for keeping Srilakshmi and her elder sister Bhagya captive. Bhagya died of malnutrition a few days ago. Srilakshmi was shifted to hospital after she was rescued.
The paranoia of Gangamma is evident from the thatched hut where she stayed with her daughters. The hut has no windows. The door is secured with two locks. While other houses in the village sit next to each other, Gangamma’s house is on a desolate, barren land.
“Considering the economic condition of the family, the Gram Panchayat provided them with a house under Ashraya Yojane. However, Gangamma would pick fights with everyone in the neighbourhood and decided to live far away. She was suspicious of everyone,” GP member Chandrashekar said.
It was this pathological suspicion that divided her family. “She forced her husband to leave home after suspecting him of having an affair. She confined her daughters fearing they would run away,” he said.
Another resident Nagaraja Nayaka recalled Gangamma’s hostility to even people who tried to help her. “She wouldn’t listen to anyone.
Even when her bull died, she did not seek anyone’s help and let it decay on her plot,” he said, pointing to a horn that remains.
Dr Lokesh Babu, psychiatrist, said Gangamma suffers from schizophrenia. “Patients with the condition believe everyone to be their enemies and isolate themselves. They are also extremely protective about their family members,” he said.
Sometimes they can go to extreme lengths to ensure protection. Gangamma also requires psychological intervention, he said. Dr Rangaswamy, District Health Officer, said this was a social issue. “Villagers were aware of Gangamma. If they had brought it to our attention, the death probably would not have occurred,” he said.
Dr Malini G, psychiatrist at Tumkur District Hospital, said even Srilakshmi could be suffering from schizophrenia. “It appears that the mother is also mentally ill. But it is yet to be evaluated,” she said. On Srilakshmi’s malnourishment, she said, “She was allegedly in captivity for 13 years. Naturally, she is malnourished.”