GUNTUR: In a heart-rending incident, a 75-year-old disabled woman was found taking shelter under a tree at Ganapavaram village in Palnadu district for the past one week. The woman was identified as Kakarla Kanthamma, a native of Kakinada.
An enquiry into the matter revealed that the woman’s children, two daughters and a son, allegedly took away all her money, gold and documents of a plot, leaving her with no option but to take refuge under a tree.
Ten years ago, she moved to Ganapavaram village with her husband Sithramaiah. She shifted into a rented house after losing her husband eight years ago. Kanthamma was surviving with a monthly pension, while her children settled in Bengaluru, Kakinada, and Guntur.
After learning that the widow had received a plot at the Jagananna housing layout, her children visited her three months ago and allegedly took the money, gold ornaments, and documents of the plot.
As her health deteriorated, Kanthamma decided to shift to Guntur permanently to live with her son’s family. However, on reaching the city, she realised that her son did not live in the address he had provided to her. Dejected, she returned to her village only to find that the house she was living in had been rented out to another family. With nowhere else to go, Kanthamma began living under the tree.
On noticing the old woman, a few villagers gave her a blanket and started feeding her. Local village volunteer B Yedukondalu learnt about Kanthamma on Wednesday and immediately contacted her daughter.
“The woman’s daughter told me that her father-in-law was unwell and will come to see her mother soon and enrol her into an old age home. I was appalled,” the village volunteer told TNIE. When Kanthamma’s daughter did not show up, the volunteer called her again, but in vain.
Further, he explained that they could not enrol the woman to an old-age home as the signature of a relative is mandatory. Nadendla CI Satish said, “As Kanthamma has not filed an official complaint, we also cannot take any further action.”
Villagers have been coming forward to take care of the woman. “She is able to consume only liquids,” Prasad, a villager, said and urged officials to trace her children soon.