CHIKBALLAPUR: Officials have rescued a 40-year-old mentally ill man, who was kept chained to a tree for two years.
Srinivas had been chained to a banyan tree at M Gollahalli gram panchayat of Chinthamani taluk in Chikballapur district.
Following a report in Express, Chikballapur Deputy Commissioner M V Venkatesh and Superintendent of Police Divya V Gopinath rescued Srinivas. Venkatesh said Srinivas is being treated free of cost in his village as his family members have requested the officials not to shift him to NIMHANS in Bengaluru.
His condition is being monitored by a doctor and a senior psychiatrist.
Venkatesh said the tahsildar has been directed to visit the village at regular intervals to check the condition of Srinivas.
Divya said the circle inspector of Chinthamani has been deputed to investigate the matter, and police officials have been directed to visit the village regularly.
According to sources, Srinivas was undergoing treatment for depression, but when this was stopped he is said to have turned violent.
Following this, his family members tied him to a tree. Srinivas’s family members have been warned not to chain him again.