Earlier this summer, an American woman in India made headlines as she was found changed to a tree in a remote forest and appeared to be inches away from death.
Lalita Kaya Kumar, 50, was found and promptly saved by authorities in the state of Maharashtra on July 7th. She was taken to hospital, where she was treated for hunger and dehydration. However, new information shows that her story may be untrue.
What Lalita Told the Police
When the woman was first discovered by police, she was unable to speak. After writing a note to communicate, authorities began to understand that she had been tied to the tree following a particularly heated domestic dispute with her husband.
Although the woman was legitimately tied to a tree trunk for over 40 days and was found emaciated and ill, it has been a problem by the Indian police that she made up the story and manufactured the situation.
Evidence Proves She Was Faking It
The police note that she likely brought the locks and iron chains to the forest in the Sindhudburg district.
Near where they found the woman, a pair of keys to the lock and chain were found. It’s possible that the woman locked herself up and threw the key just meters away in an attempt to hide the evidence.
Mental Illness
After some harsh examinations by the local police force, it was discovered that the woman was not married at all and instead was suffering from hallucinations when she made her first statement to authorities.
“This was not an isolated incident,” it said. “The woman had chained herself to a tree in Tamil Nadu, where she lived before relocating to Goa.” Lalita said that she was in distress because her Indian visa had run out, and she had no way to make money.
News From the Hospital
Now that Lalita is a ward of the state, she is being treated for her mental illness. Authorities claim that she is currently not in control of her actions and was likely experiencing an episode when she decided to chain herself to a tree.
Several mental illnesses could make a person do such a thing. One could be hallucinations or schizophrenia, which distorts the victim’s view of reality.
She Was Found on July 7
When the woman was first discovered on July 7 by a cattle herder, she was simply in the path of his animals grazing in the forest.
Although she looked emaciated and was in poor condition, officers were doubtful that she had gone without food and water for more than 40 days, which she initially claimed.
Her Condition Is Improving
Dr. Sanghamitra Phule, who works as the superintendent of the hospital where the woman is being held, told the Telegraph, “Her condition is improving, and she is oriented. She has given a statement to the police as well that she had a psychiatric disorder, and hallucination is part of that. She was hallucinating.”
“She herself said that she was getting treatment for her disorder. We had to take the history, like how long she had been suffering. She speaks very nicely and she is completely conscious. She understands what is going on around her.”
Her Hospital Stay Will Be Lengthy
Being without food for so long can cause a person’s body to completely fall apart. One of the most difficult parts of recovery will be learning to eat solid foods again and possibly even learning to walk.
From the photos, it is apparent that the woman lost considerable muscle mass, which means that her bones are likely brittle, and she cannot put weight on her feet yet.
Early Allegations Prompted a Murder Investigation
When Lalita was first brought to the hospital and she communicated her story to authorities, they took what happened to her very seriously.
They quickly launched a full murder investigation into her husband. However, police soon discovered that she had no known husband and was most likely fabricating the story.
More False Claims
Although it may be true that the woman was suffering from psychosis or hallucinations, she also has a tall tale as to why her mental health was in such poor condition.
In the note, she recounts that her “husband” injected her to help with the “extreme psychosis” that she was suffering from.
The 40 Day Claim is Likely False
MedLine Plus, a health information website run through the NIH National Library of Medicine, notes that “Without consuming water, humans would die in a few days.”
Although doctors agree that she is in poor condition, it is unlikely that she truly spent 40 days chained to a tree. Nearby residents and farmers walk through the area regularly, meaning she would have likely been discovered before now.
What Will Happen to Lalita Now?
The woman originally hails from the United States and will most likely be deported to her home country after she is well enough to travel.
It is currently unclear what laws she may have broken in India or the United States. Usually, a person overstaying their welcome is deported to their origin, but anyone breaking a country’s laws will be subject to their judiciary system, however unfair or cruel.
