Lalita Kayi came to India 10 years ago to study yoga and meditation. How did she end up in a forest?

Mystery surrounds an American woman who was found chained to a tree “screaming” in a forest in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.

Lalita Kayi, 50, was discovered a week ago in the dense forests of Sindhudurg district after her cries for help were heard by shepherds. They alerted the police who sawed off the chain and rescued her.

Ms Kayi, who appeared completely emaciated, was taken to hospital. Her physical health has since improved and, on Friday, she was moved to a psychiatric facility for further treatment, doctors treating her told the BBC.

In a written statement to the police, she has alleged that her husband “chained her and left her in the forest to die without food or water”.

    • LesserAbe@lemmy.world
      555·
      3 months ago

      Yeah, and that her version of events doesn’t seem possible (no food and water for 40 days)

      • Tikiporch@lemmy.world
        633·
        3 months ago

        You reckon it’s possible to lose track of time when chained to a tree while experiencing a psychotic episode?

        • LesserAbe@lemmy.world
          212·
          3 months ago

          Did you read the article? They took her to a psychiatric hospital, and explicitly note there’s a discrepancy about the time. I’m not saying she wasn’t abused, or that her whole story is fake. Just, we all know you can’t go 40 days without water. You can’t go a week without water.

          • zabadoh@ani.social
            111·
            3 months ago

            It rains a lot in some parts of India, hence the existence of the jungle where she was chained.

            Maybe she survived by drinking puddles of rainwater within her range of movement?

            That may not be enough water to sustain her forever, but it would extend her survival.

            That, and lack of water and food can lead to delirium which can lead to losing sense of time.

            She might have picked “40 days” as a Bible reference. That’s a pretty common number that represents a long time in western culture, even if they’re not directly referencing the Bible.

            • Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world
              3·
              3 months ago

              That’s a lot of mights and maybes. I feel the article did an ok job at leaving those out and going only off of what is known. Which is exactly what the news is suppose to be

          • clockwork_octopus@lemmy.worldEnglish
            43·
            3 months ago

            You can’t survive 40 days without rehydration, but if you were given fluid intravenously, you can go without actually drinking anything. She states he injected her with something, maybe it was drugged, and maybe he hooked her up with an iv drip? I dunno. The whole situation is royally fucked up, any way you look at it

      • jdnewmil
        191·
        3 months ago

        I know, I am just someone on the Internet, but I was acquainted with someone who fasted for 40 days… twice (a little over a year apart I think)… in pursuit of some kind of spiritual enlightenment. He started out a little on the heavy side, and ended up, well, emaciated. Anyway, he did have water, which is where I think this woman’s story falls apart.