An American woman who went to India a decade ago to study yoga and meditation has claimed she survived without food and water for 40 days after being handcuffed to a tree by her ex-husband.
US citizen Lalita Kayi Kumar, 50, was found hungry and emaciated on Saturday by a local shepherd in a remote forest in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, about 40 kilometers from Goa, according to for reports.
O pastor broke an iron chain that was used to bind her to the tree. Police said she was severely dehydrated and unable to speak.
Authorities said Kumar met and married an Indian man while studying yoga in Tamil Nadu, the same province in southeast India, where Kamala Harris‘where grandfather comes from. The couple reportedly had a disagreement and the ex-husband has now been accused of attempted murder. murder.
Fury after alleged teenage killer in India told to write essay as punishment
According to the Indian Expressthe police case is based on a letter written by the American, who has not yet spoken about her ordeal.
“Injection for extreme psychosis causing severe jaw locking and inability to drink water. I need intravenous feeding… 40 days without food in the forest – my husband tied me to a tree in the forest and said I would die there,” the note said.
Police are skeptical that Kumar could have survived for 40 days without food or water.
“When we discovered her, she was severely dehydrated. It appears she was trapped there for at least 48 hours. Though she was mute,” he said Amol Chavan, inspector of Sawantwadi Police Station.
NEW: American woman chained to a tree and left to die in an Indian jungle was rescued after a local shepherd heard her cries for help
Lalita Kayi Kumar, 50, was married to a man from Tamil Nadu, the same region of southern India where Kamala Harris’ mother is from.
Kumar was found… pic.twitter.com/zQEDgLpgYs
– Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) July 30, 2024
“She is currently in no condition to talk. We are trying to get more details about her past,” said Saurabh Agarwal, superintendent of police in Sindhudurg, the area where she was found.
Kumar had her US passport with her when she was found along with several personal belongings, including an identity card with an address in Tamil Nadu. She is said to be out of danger but suffers from psychiatric problems.
Police said she had lived in India for at least 10 years and that her visa had expired.
Get the Daily Beast’s biggest news and scandals delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now.
Stay informed and get unlimited access to the Daily Beast’s unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.
