A shocking case of alleged captivity and torture has emerged from Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh, where a retired railway employee and his mentally ill daughter were reportedly held prisoner in their own home for five years by their domestic help. The elderly man died due to neglect, while his daughter was found in a severely malnourished, skeletal condition.
A Grisly Discovery in Hind Tyre Gali
The incident came to light in the Hind Tyre Gali area under Kotwali police station. The victims were identified as 70-year-old Omprakash Singh Rathore, a retired senior clerk from the railways, and his 27-year-old daughter Rashmi. According to the complaint filed by the deceased's brother, Amar Singh, the nightmare began after Omprakash's wife passed away in 2016.
Following his wife's death, Omprakash moved to a separate house with his daughter. He employed a couple, Ramprakash Kushwaha from Charkhari and his wife Ramdevi, to take care of the household and its occupants. However, the servants allegedly had sinister motives from the start.
The Alleged Captivity and Systematic Isolation
It is alleged that the servant couple gradually took complete control of the house. They confined Omprakash and Rashmi to the lower rooms, while they themselves occupied the upper portion. The father and daughter were reportedly starved and denied proper care. For the last two years, they were kept in complete confinement.
The servants also systematically cut off the family from their relatives. Whenever family members came to visit, Ramprakash and Ramdevi would turn them away with excuses. They allegedly told relatives that Omprakash and Rashmi did not wish to meet anyone. Believing this, the relatives would leave. This isolation allowed the alleged abuse to continue unchecked.
A Scene of Horror and Police Investigation
The truth unraveled on Monday when relatives, upon hearing news of Omprakash's death, rushed to the house. They were met with a horrifying scene. Omprakash's body had dried up. His daughter Rashmi was found naked in a dark room. Relatives stated that the 27-year-old was reduced to a skeletal frame due to extreme starvation, with her body appearing like that of an elderly woman. They alleged her condition was a direct result of prolonged malnutrition.
The relatives have accused the servant couple of acting out of greed for Omprakash's house and bank balance. In a brazen move, the servants had even put up a nameplate outside the house identifying Ramprakash as the deceased's son.
Upon receiving information, police arrived at the spot, took custody of Omprakash's body, and sent it for postmortem. Rashmi was rescued and taken for medical treatment. City Circle Officer Arun Kumar Singh stated that the reality of the case will become clearer after the postmortem report. He also noted that if the relatives were being denied meetings, a police complaint should have been filed earlier. He assured that every aspect of the case is being thoroughly investigated.
The police are investigating the serious charges of illegal confinement, causing death by negligence, and attempted murder, among others. The servant couple is under scrutiny for their alleged planned actions to usurp the property of the vulnerable father and daughter.
