Woman confined in a house for two decades

Kendrapada, Sep 24 (UNI) A 36-year-old hapless woman, resident of Mahadeipur under Aul block of Kendrapara district, has been leading a cursed life in a confined room for more than two decades on the pretext that she has become insane.

Swarnaprava has been languishing as her family members locked her in a dingy room after she started behaving abnormally at the age of 16. Since then she has been provided with food from a small hole on the wall of the room.

Her poor parents had failed to provide medical treatment for her mental disorder as poverty stood as a barrier for medical expenses.

Finding no other alternative, they decided to keep her in a small room isolated from the family members.

For twenty years, Swarnapava has to lead a life of confinement for herself in the small dark room, measuring 6 feet long and 6 feet width even unfit for a stray animal to take shelter.

The villagers had urged her father Hareskrushna Pandav to treat her in any government hospital but the poor parent did not pay any heed to their appeal, said Tapasini Das, one of the classmates of Swarnaprava.

Justifying the confinement, her poverty stricken family members said if freed she would pose a major problem not only for the family but also for the villagers. They even apprehended that she might attack the villagers.

According to Sitarani, mother of Swarnaprava, some villagers had asked them to confine her in a room after she lost mental balance and attacked villagers.

A class X drop out, Swarnaprava had developed insanity at the age of 16 after a brief illness.

UNI XC DP SJC RD 2056