MALAPPURAM: A 27-year-old woman from Perinthalmanna in Malappuram suffered severe mental and physical torture at two major mental health centres in Kerala after her family members forcibly admitted her there for having a relationship which was opposed by them.
The woman had undergone treatment in S H Hospital at Painkulam in Idukki for 28 days and Santhula Trust Hospital at Koothattukulam in Ernakulam for four days. According to the police, she was shifted to the mental health facility in Painkulam in an unconscious state after being administered some sedatives.
The woman who was pursuing a dental degree from KMCT Medical College in Mukkam, Kozhikode has been in a relationship with Gafoor E K, a native of Thrissur, for the past seven years. But her family was reportedly against the relationship owing to the gap in the families’ social status.
The family after failing to lure the woman into some other marriage proposals, in November, asked her to come back home in Perinthalmanna from Kozhikode saying they would support the relationship. But when she reached the home, she was injected with some drugs and shifted to the mental health facility at Painkulam.
Police said she suffered mental and physical torture at the facility. “The mental health authorities tried to break the girl's relationship. They did not give any treatment to improve the girl’s mental health or reduce her temptations for suicidal attempts. Even the doctors there forced the girl to forget her boyfriend,” said Perinthalmanna Sub Inspector Manjith Lal, who was in the team that investigated the case.
Meanwhile, Gafoor filed a habeas corpus in the High Court, saying the woman was missing for more than a month. Considering the plea, the court asked the police and the family members to present her before the court on or before December 6.
Even after the court’s direction, the family said the woman was not in their custody. Meanwhile, the family shifted the girl from S H Hospital at Painkulam to Santhula Trust Hospital at Koothattukulam.
On December 5, the Perintalmanna police rescued the woman from the hospital in Koothattukulam. The police presented her at the High Court on December 6. The court, after considering the request of the woman, permitted her to live with her boyfriend.
Manjith Lal said a case was registered against the kin of her family including her father and the mental health centre authorities. “The father and other relatives involved in the case will be arrested soon. Also, an investigation will be conducted to find out the illegal activities in the mental health centres. The girl informed us that she found many more girls at the mental health facilities in a similar situation,” he added.