A 53-year-old woman, chained in her own home by her father due to an alleged “mental illness” was able to see the sunlight for the first time in 36 years yesterday thanks to the efforts of former MLA of Hathras and NGO Sewa Bharti.
Sapna Jain was imprisoned by her father, duly tied with a chain, since the time she was 17, deprived of sunlight, fresh air, and freedom. The incident highlights the plight of people with mental illness in India.
A resident of Firozabad’s Tundla’s Mohammadabad village, the imprisoned girl ate meals slid to her through a door and bathed with water thrown across windows through buckets all these years.
She was released this week, thanks to the assistance of Anjula Mahaur, former mayor of Agra and BJP MLA from Hathras. Members of the local NGO Sewa Bharti informed Mahaur about the case.
After Sapna’s father, Girish Chand, died recently, a group of women from the organisation went to investigate the situation. “We discovered her in critical condition. She was dressed in filthy clothes with dirt all over them. “NGO members bathed her and provided her with clean clothes,” said Nirmala Singh, a senior member of Sewa Bharti.
Meanwhile, MLA Mauhar spoke with Sapna’s family and arranged for her to be transferred to an Agra mental health facility.
“Sapna was imprisoned as a minor,” Mauhar explained.” When I heard about this, I knew something had to be done.” she said.
Also Read: In Conversation: VIP Author Aparna Piramal Raje On Her Struggles With Mental Illness
