Geetha had been found tied with a chain and padlock, family says she is mentally ill.
A young woman kept bound and chained in a town in Telangana was rescued today after the neighbours alerted the police. Geetha, 25, told the police that her brothers and sisters-in-law had kept her captive for months and subjected her to horrific tortures.
Geetha, when she was being rescued, had been found with her arms tied behind her back with a chain and padlock.
''They kept me chained. They gave me chilli powder with rice once in two days. They gave me torn clothes and never let me out of the house,'' Geetha said. She alleged that her family did not even allow her to use the toilet.
It is not yet clear for how long she had been kept locked up. The family had moved into the neighborhood in Jagtiyal, 200 km from Hyderabad, just a few days ago.
The young woman claims she is a graduate and had been working as a teacher when she was made captive. The 25-year-old was quite coherent as she told her story and identified her brothers, but refused to acknowledge her mother.
The family alleges that Geetha is mentally unstable. Ramesh, one of her brothers, said if she was left free, she would run out of the house and create a nuisance.
The police have registered a case against the family, accusing them of wrongful confinement and wrongful restraint.
The matter, the police said, was being investigated. ''If she is mentally unstable, under Lunacy Act, we will present her in court and send her to Hyderabad for treatment,'' said Ananth Sharma, a senior police officer of Jagtiyal, where the woman was rescued.
Geetha, the police said, is now being moved to a hospital in Hyderabad for assessment and treatment.