63-yr-old woman living alone, locked in one room rescued

A 63-year-old woman living alone on the first floor of her parental house in Chandigarh was rescued by the NGO Prabh Aasra and the Chandigarh Police on Tuesday. The woman, Sukhi, was taken straight to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32 after being rescued.

Her brother lives with his family on the ground floor of the same house — and said he did not know his sister was ill.

"According to our information, she has not eaten for days and had locked herself in a room. She is suffering from depression," NGO member Shamsher Singh said. "We got a mail last evening from a family friend, Navneet Dhillon, and a call from Sukhi's helper Maya at 9.30 pm yesterday. After that, we called the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chandigarh, Anubhav Sharma, who is secretary of the District Legal Services Authority. He then ordered the police to go to the house along with us."

Maya told Singh that Sukhi had not been responding for three days and would not let anyone in.

On Tuesday, when a police team and Prabh Aasra members reached the Sector 36 residence, Sukhi still would not open the door. The policemen had to enter from the balcony, break down the door, and rescue her.

Dhillon's email described Sukhi's background: the daughter of Brig Sampuran Singh, she had lived in the Sector 36 house with her mother after her husband, a resident of Sector 18, left her. Five years ago, her mother died, and her brother, Col (retd) Sarabjeet Singh, moved in. "Sukhi was shifted to a single room on the first floor of the house. She has no source of income from her parental property or from her husband," the letter said.

"I have come to know from a common friend that Sukhi is ill, under depression, not eating anything and has confined herself to a room for the last many days. She is lonely at home as she is not on good terms with her brother who lives downstairs. She needs immediate medical care and company," the letter added.

Binny, Sukhi's sister-in-law, said the family had cut off contact amid litigation: "We have a property case going on in the court which she has filed against us. The house we live in has been under litigation for the last five years. Since then, we have no connection with her."

Sukhi was admitted to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32, where doctors began treatment for depression and diagnosed her with malnutrition. "We were called for help and we have handed over the woman to the authority concerned, the State Legal Services Authority," said Inspector Ram Dayal, the Sector 36 station house officer.

Source: The Indian Express