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A mother was so terrified of catching covid that she locked herself and her son in their two-bedroom apartment for three years.
Munmun Majhi, 33, and her 10-year-old son, were rescued by police on Wednesday, February 22, after spending three years locked up in their home in the city of Gurugram, in the state of Haryana, India.
The 33-year-old mother was so terrified of contracting the virus if they went outside that she did not allow her husband, Sujan Majhi, into their own home just one day after the first lockdown.
After getting fed up with the situation, Sujan contacted the police, who initially did not believe him and asked them to check on his wife’s well-being.
Police found piles of trash and groceries in the apartment, where the woman’s son had been drawing on the walls to keep from getting bored.
Police called Munmun Majhi after her husband, engineer Sujan Majhi, reported concern for her well-being.
She had locked herself and her ten-year-old son in the dirty apartment for three years because she was afraid of catching Covid.
Sujan Majhi, who worked as an engineer and had his own company, initially stayed with friends and relatives when his wife refused him entry, but continued to pay rent and utilities.
Eventually he had to rent another flat for himself.
The engineer had tried to reason with his wife and brought his family groceries, which he left outside the front door.
But nothing would convince his wife to let him return to the family home.
Having requested the help of the police, an officer called Ms. Majhi to check on her well-being, but the woman claimed that she and her son were “absolutely fit”.
He said: ‘Then we made a video call, and when I saw the boy, I was emotional. He had grown his hair to his shoulders.
The boy had reportedly had no personal contact with anyone other than his mother during the period they were in lockdown, and had spent his time drawing and writing on the walls to keep himself occupied.
The officer continued: ‘His mother was in a Covid panic. She had no intention of leaving.
“She kept saying, ‘I won’t let my son out because he’s going to die right away.’
I kept talking to her, kept asking her if she needed help. I think she started to trust me.
“So when I called her at the police station today, she came, but the boy was not with her.
Piles of stale rubbish were found in the two-bedroom apartment in Gurugram, in India’s Haryana state, along with groceries and toys.
The boy had reportedly had no personal contact with anyone other than his mother during the period they were in lockdown, and had spent his time drawing and writing on the walls.
Both Ms. Majhi and her son have been admitted to the hospital for treatment and she is receiving psychiatric help.
‘We finally managed to convince her. They took her to a hospital and then we went to the flat to rescue the girl.
When the police broke into the house, they were shocked by the amount of rubbish Ms. Majhi had stored inside.
They also found piles of clothing, hair, empty grocery packages scattered on the ground, and a thick layer of dirt all over the place.
After finding the boy in one of the bedrooms, officers immediately took him to the hospital.
Assistant Deputy Inspector Praveen Kumar said: “There was so much rubbish inside that if a few more days had passed, something untoward could have happened.”
Dr Virender Yadav, a Gurgaon civil surgeon, said: “A medical team including psychiatrists are evaluating them.”
The woman has psychological problems. Both have been referred to IGP [Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences]Rohtak [City].
They have been admitted to the psychiatric ward for treatment.
Delighted to have his family back, Sujan thanked the police, adding: ‘I’m happy they’re out. I have to take care of your health.
‘Now they are being treated. I hope my life will return to normal soon.