Covid scare gets real ! Woman, son rescued after three years of house confinement
Story highlights
To keep COVID-19 at bay, a 33-year-old woman locked herself and her minor son in self-confinement for three years at their rented house in Gurugram's Chakkarpur area.
If you think the COVID-19 scare is not a real deal, then this story from Gurugram, in the Indian state of Haryana, will have you rethink. The fear of contracting coronavirus made a 33-year-old woman lock herself and her minor son in self-confinement for three years at their rented house in Gurugram's Chakkarpur area.
Very less was known about COVID-19 at the start of 2020 when India detected its first case. The nation went into lockdown. Later, with more preparedness country relaxed its COVID restrictions.
With the easing out of COVID curbs, Munmun Majhi's husband Sujan Majhi started going to the office. However, the woman out of fear of COVID, did not allow her husband to step back inside the house, the police who rescued her said.
Sujan for the initial few days couch-surfed at some of his friends and relatives. He tried to convince his wife but to no avail. Tired, Sujan rented another accommodation in the same locality. Sharing how things were during the time of their leaving apart, Sujan said he kept in touch with his wife and son by doing video calls. He would pay monthly rent, electricity bills and his son's school fees.
He would also buy groceries and vegetables and leave the bags of ration outside the main door.
The matter came to the police's notice on 17 February when Majhi contacted assistant sub-inspector Praveen Kumar deployed at Chakkarpur police post. A team of police along with medical team and members of the child welfare department broke open the main door of the house and rescued Munmun Majhi and her 10-year-old son.
The police described in what dreadful circumstances the woman and her son were living. The 10-year-old was deprived of the sun for the past three years. The woman was so scared that she did not even use cooking gas and storage water.
"Initially, I didn't believe Sujan's claims, but when he made me talk to his wife and son over a video call, I intervened in the matter. The house where the woman was living had accumulated so much filth and garbage that if a few more days had passed, anything untoward could have happened," ASI Kumar told PTI news agency.
Dr Virender Yadav, Civil Surgeon, Gurugram said, "The woman has some psychological issues. Both of them are referred to PGI, Rohtak where they are admitted to psychiatric ward for treatment."
The husband is now happy to be reunited with his wife and son. "Now they are being treated and I hope my life will be back on track soon," he said.
