MANGALURU: A 70-year-old woman who was locked up by her son and daughter-in-law in a toilet at their house for two years has been rescued with the help of police and an NGO at Bantwal taluk in Dakshina Kannada district. The rescued woman has been identified as Girija, a resident of Karavali site at Kallige Benjanapadav.
Girija had a fall on January 1, 2020, and instead of providing her treatment for her injuries, her son Hariram and daughter-in-law Pooja locked her up in a toilet and even denied her proper food.
Pooja also allegedly used to abuse her. A few days ago, a citizen who became suspicious of the couple’s treatment towards the elderly woman, informed Senior Citizens’ Helpline which works in the district.
Victim did not see daylight for 2 years
Mahima Bhandary, a counsellor at the helpline, said: “The woman was locked up inside a toilet-cum-shed since two years and she did not see daylight during the period. She was in a critical state. Some neighbours on observing that the woman did not come out of the house used to inquired with the couple about Girija’s whereabouts. The couple lied to them each time either by saying said she was taking a bath or that she had stepped out of the house for some work”.
Mahima added, “After a fall in the verandah, Girija suffered injuries and could not move. The couple dumped her in the toilet without giving her any first aid and she remained in the same state for two years. The place was dirty and full of bad odour. However, with the help of police, we rescued her.”
The police said the daughter-in-law used to abuse and tell the victim to eat mud and gave her food barely once a day.
The victim’s son works as a daily wage worker and he never questioned his wife on what she was doing. After rescuing her, the woman was taken to Wenlock Hospital on Thursday.
Her son came to the hospital, created a scene and assured to take her back home.
But the woman requested the counsellors to shift her to an ashram in Padil and refused to go back to her son’s house.
The police have registered a suo motu case against the accused and booked them under Sections 336 (endangering life or personal safety of others), 504 (intentionally insulting a person) and Section 24 of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.