US woman found chained to tree in Sindhudurg forest; cops suspect husband's role

Mumbai, July 29 (PTI) A 50-year-old American woman was found tied to a tree with an iron chain in a forest in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district, and a set of documents, including an Aadhaar card with a Tamil Nadu address, were recovered from her possession, a police official said on Monday.

Police suspect the husband of the woman, Lalita Kayi, tied her inside the forest in the coastal district, around 450km from Mumbai, and fled.

The woman, who appeared frail and said to be battling mental health issues, is originally from the United States and had been staying in Tamil Nadu, from where her husband hails, for the last 10 years, an official said.

A Sindhudurg police team has been dispatched to the address mentioned in her Aadhaar card to trace her relatives and verify the authenticity of the document issued by the central government, he said.

"We are verifying all the documents recovered from her possession. Only after recording her statement and verifying the documents that we will be able to come to some conclusion," said Saurabh Agrawal, Superintendent of Police, Sindhudurg district.

A case is yet to be registered in connection with the incident, he said.

A shepherd heard her cries on Saturday evening in Sonurli village and alerted police after finding her chained and in distress, another official said.

"The woman was rushed to a hospital in Sawantwadi (in the Konkan region) and then Oros in Sindhudurg. Considering her mental and health condition, she was shifted to Goa Medical College for advanced treatment. She is out of danger. Doctors treating her said she suffers from psychiatric problems. We have found medical prescriptions in her possession," the official informed.

"We found her Aadhaar card with a Tamil Nadu address and a photocopy of her United States of America passport. She has been identified as Lalita Kayi. Her visa has expired. We are getting all these documents verified to ascertain her nationality. Police are also in touch with the Foreigners Regional Registration office," he said.

The official said the woman's husband has emerged as the prime suspect behind the cruelty inflicted on her.

"The woman is not in a position to give her statement. The woman is weak as she has not eaten anything for a couple of days and also as the area experienced heavy rains. We don't know for how long she was tied to that tree. We believe her husband, who hails from Tamil Nadu, tied her there and fled," he said.

The official said police teams have left for Tamil Nadu, Goa and some other places to trace her relatives and gather other details as part of the probe.