Woman rescued from a decade of confinement. Free finally

www.mangaloretoday.com

Bangalore, June 5, 2013: The police on Monday rescued a 35-year-old woman from her house at Malleswaram where she was allegedly confined for almost a decade, far from the glare of family and friends.

Neighbours informed the police that P Hemavathi was found lying on the floor of a dilapidated house at 17th cross, Malleswaram. She was found covered with a piece of cloth, unable to move her limbs. Her parents said she had to be fed everyday. She was immediately admitted to Nimhans. She is now under observation at a psychiatry ward.

 

Hemavathi has spent the last 10 years in this doleful state, the neighbours alleged. Her parents, however, claimed that her condition deteriorated four years ago. While the neighbours alleged family apathy, Hemavathi’s father, Renukappa, claimed that her condition did not improve despite being treated at KIMS and Mother Teresa Hospital a few times.

Sub-Inspector Renuka, who led the rescue team, said the police could not take any legal action as the woman was not illegally or forcefully confined. The indifference of the family was evident, she said. “Hemavathi said she wanted to be treated and rehabilitated. She aspires to lead a normal life.

But when I asked what happened to her and why, she was incoherent and did not answer properly,” Renuka added.
Health Minister U T Khader visited the family on Tuesday morning.

He promised government help for Hemavathi’s treatment. He arrived with a 108 ambulance and immediately got the woman admitted to Nimhans. “It is clear that she was suffering. The doctors who examined her have said she needs further treatment and so we shifted her to Nimhans,” Khader said.

Doctors at Nimhans said Hemavathi was conscious and talking properly. “We are examining her and it will take time before we can ascertain the issue completely. Paralysis has not been confirmed yet. We are also talking to her parents to gather the history of the patient,” said V L Sateesh, Nimhans Medical Superintendent.

Hemavathi’s family could not clearly explain the reasons behind her present condition. Renukappa said she was suffering from chikungunya around four years ago.

Thereafter, she lost control of her limbs. He also admitted that Hemavathi was depressed.


She would keep crying for food at night, claims cousin;
Kin, neighbours say Hemavathi’s family was indifferent to her plight

It remains a mystery why 35-year-old Hemavathi was confined to her house since 2003. But one of the woman’s classmates claimed that her father was “directly responsible” for her pathetic condition.

Hemavathi’s classmate, Uma, remembered her as a bright student who had a flair for mathematics. She graduated in commerce in 1996 and aspired to become a chartered accountant (CA). She even began working at a CA firm nearby. What happened to her thereafter remained a mystery, Uma said. “Then began her descent into mental and physical decay. I’m really sad to see her in this condition,” Uma rued.

Eldest of three children of Renukappa and Puttagowramma, Hemavathi’s younger brothers are Somashekhar, 34, and Balachandra, 32. She studied pre-university course at MES College before enrolling for BCom at MLA College, Malleswaram 14th Cross.

Neighbours said that Hemavathi was courting a young man, but her family opposed the alliance and confined her to the house. Uma denied it, but hastened to add that Hemavathi’s father had rejected all proposals of her marriage, leaving her depressed.
‘Finally free’

Alleged negligence and apathy on the part of her family made matters worse. “I’m really happy that she is free now. I hope she never goes back to her family,” Uma said.

Hemavathi’s cousin, Shivamurthy, claimed that his family would hear her cries at night. “Sometimes she would cry for food. In the last five years, an ambulance would occasionally take her to the hospital and come back,” he told Deccan Herald.

Shivamurthy’s father Mruthyunjayappa is the brother of Renukappa. The brothers lived as a joint family at their ancestral house decades ago. But differences between them led to partition of the family property. While Mruthyunjayappa later built a three-storey building on his portion of the land, Renukappa and his family lived in a dilapidated house just next to it. The two families had strained relations and were not even on speaking terms.

Shivamurthy recalled that he last spoke to his uncle way back in 1984. Renukappa did not allow his brother’s family to “meddle” in his affairs, Shivamurthy said. “We couldn’t know what was happening in our own backyard.”

Renukappa’s financial condition is not poor. He is said to have rented three buildings at Mahalakshmi Layout, Subramanya Nagar and Matthikere and two plots near Kanteerava Studio. He reportedly earns nearly Rs one lakh every month but his house is in poor condition.

Hemavathi’s family has a history of mental illness, relatives and neighbours claimed.
While Hemavathi’s condition was not known, Puttagowramma and Somashekhar were reportedly mentally unstable. “Puttagowramma would often speak to herself,” Seema, a neighbour, said.

Somashekhar would often pick fights with people, neighbours claimed. Single and unemployed, Somashekhar could not speak coherently when this newspaper tried to talk to him. Balachandra is a chronic alcoholic, relatives said.