PONDA: A physically and mentally challenged woman was rescued on Tuesday from almost 11 years of confinement in an unhygienic condition at Talavlim, Ponda.
The woman was rescued by a team of Woman Police Station, Panjim, and members of a Bambolim based NGO Scan Goa.
The rescued woman is identified as Rajeshri Rajendra Fadte (50).
According to sources, some Talavlim locals had complained about the confinement of Rajeshri to Scan Goa, whose members in turn lodged a complaint at the Women Police Station.
According to the same sources, the rescue operation took almost two hours as the woman, who for 11 years didn’t have anyone go closer to her, out of fear, reportedly resisted the rescue team form approaching her. She even pelted at the rescuers whatever objects she could lay her hands on. Later, she hid herself under a table and was refusing to come out.
Finally, the rescue team managed to hold her tight, bind her on stretcher and took her to Sub District Hospital at Ponda. The woman was later taken to the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (IPHB) at Bambolim.
The rescue team informed that the victim woman was defecating and urinating in the same room where she was confined to and that when they entered the house, they had to breathe in strong stench.
Meanwhile, sources said that the victim’s husband Rajendra Fadte has been taken into custody by the women police for confining Rajeshri for 11 long years in a house.
On questioning, Rajendra reportedly told the police that he married Rajeshri around 15 years ago, but within a year she was afflicted with serious illness due to which she became physically and mentally handicapped.
He further reportedly told the police that for five years he took good care of Rajeshri and thereafter due to his financial conditions, he couldn’t continue with the same care. The accused husband reportedly earns his living as a fisherman. Later, around 11 years ago he got married to another woman and shifted to a rented house at Kavlem, keeping his first wife alone at his house at Talavalim. Currently, Rajendra is living with his second wife, son and his aged father.
Sources further informed that a formal case would be registered against Rajendra on Wednesday.
