A woman in India reportedly locked herself and her 10-year-old son in her home for three years for fear of coronavirus infection.
According to the Independent, the woman, Munmun Majhi and her son were rescued after her husband took refuge at the local police station. Majhi is reportedly a resident of Gurugram, near Delhi.
According to Indian media reports, a team of police, paramedics and members of the Child Welfare Department arrived at the house on Tuesday and broke down the door to rescue the mother and her son.
Videos and photos on social media showed a disturbing scene of clothes, cut hair, waste, filth and items from markets scattered around the house.
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Indian media, citing officials, reported that the woman was in a state of panic due to the outbreak and believed that her son would die if he left the house.
According to the Indian Express newspaper, father Sojan Manji said, “It was very difficult to convince my wife to take her and my son out as she was afraid of coronavirus infection.”
Another Indian news channel reported that the mother had cut her and her son’s hair and that no food was ordered from outside. It was also noted that the garbage in the house had not been taken out for three years and that the child had not seen the sun during this time.
The Indian woman did not allow anyone, including her husband, to enter the house during her stay. The only way for the husband to stay in touch with his family was through video calls. The husband left food and basic necessities outside the door during this time. “When I held my son for the first time in 3 years, I couldn’t hold back my tears. I kissed him on the forehead and promised that our family would be reunited as before,” the father said in a statement.
The rescued mother and her son were taken to hospital for treatment. The incident has raised the issue of the impact of the pandemic on mental health and the need for psychological support for many people.
India has been one of the countries with the highest death toll during the pandemic. However, the number of new cases has decreased in recent months.
