American Woman Rescued After 40 Days Chained In Indian Forest

An American woman has been found chained to a tree in an Indian forest, where she survived for 40 days, sparking a manhunt for her former husband.

Lalita Kayi Kumar, 49, was discovered by a shepherd near Sonurli village in Goa after he heard her cries for several days.

Unable to speak immediately after her rescue, she wrote a note accusing her ex-husband of abandoning her to die. She claimed she had been without food for 40 days and had been given an injection for extreme psychosis, which caused her jaw to lock, preventing her from drinking water. She added, "I need intravenous food... my husband tied me to a tree in the forest."

Kumar was found with her legs tied to the tree but her hands free. A police officer noted she was too weak to free herself. She had multiple injury marks and was wearing a see-through raincoat, an olive green shirt, and worn-out brown trousers.

Police have registered a case of attempted murder against her former husband, who is accused of chaining her up before fleeing. They are also questioning the couple's relatives.

Kumar was transferred to Goa Medical College for specialist treatment after doctors raised concerns about her mental health. A hospital official reported, "She is out of danger, but she is suffering from severe depression and other mental health issues. We found medical prescriptions indicating she was on antidepressants."

Documents found on Kumar show she was a resident of Tamil Nadu, a south Indian state about 1000 kilometres from the forest where she was found. It is believed she had been living in India for the past decade.