MYSURU: In a shocking incident that has gripped a village in HD Kote taluk, a woman who spent 12 years of her life within the confines of her own home was finally freed from her harrowing captivity. The woman was forced into confinement after her husband, Sannalaiah, suspected her fidelity and decided to keep her locked up.
The appalling ordeal came to light on Wednesday, through the efforts of a few people who discovered the woman’s plight and alerted local authorities. Responding to a distress call, police and officials rushed to the village to investigate and intervene.
According to villagers, the woman, Swathi (name changed), had allegedly been kept in isolation, and was forbidden from stepping outside her own house for over a decade. “There have been several panchayat meetings in this regard, but the accused had not changed, and kept the villagers under his control. Swathi is the third wife of the Sannalaiah. His other two wives had dumped him after seeing the way he treated them,” said a villager.
Authorities were appalled to see the extent of her confinement. It raised eyebrows and sent shockwaves through the community.
The accused had ensured that the windows were shut at all times and he triple locked the doors to ensure that there was not even the slightest chance for her to escape. As authorities arrived on the scene on Wednesday, they confronted Sannalaiah and, after careful deliberation, successfully rescued the woman. The full extent of the emotional and physical toll she endured during those 12 years is yet to be comprehended.
“We are ascertaining all details and arranging counselling for the two of them. We will examine the case and take necessary actions,” said HD Kote sub-inspector.
The police confirmed that no FIR has been filed yet. However, villagers demanded that the accused be taught a lesson, by bringing him to book. Even after multiple attempts to get in touch with SP Seema Latkar, she was not available to share her insights on the case.