Fearing Covid-19, Indian woman locked self and son at home for 3 years

An extreme fear of being infected with Covid-19 saw a woman from India locking herself and her young son in their home for three years.

The matter only came to light on Feb 17 when her husband approached the authorities for help.

The police, officials from the health and child welfare departments went to the house in the city of Gurugram, south-west of New Delhi, and broke open the front door to rescue the mother, Munmun Majhi, and her 11-year-old son.

Police said Majhi, 33, had locked herself and her son in their two-bedroom flat out of fear the boy will die "as soon as he stepped out".

Visuals from Indian media and social media showed a pile of clothes, garbage and grocery strewn all over the house.

"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," said assistant sub-inspector Praveen Kumar.

The situation started when Majhi's husband, Sujan Majhi, went to work following the lifting of lockdown restrictions in 2020. When he returned home, he was shocked to find that he was locked out of his own house.

Thinking that the situation is temporary, Majhi, who works as an engineer, stayed with relatives and friends, before renting an apartment near his house.

Throughout the three years, he communicated with his family only through video calls.

He continued to pay for rent and utility bills of his marital home, and to buy grocery and vegetables which he left outside the main door.

He even continued paying for his son's school fees despite the boy's prolonged absence.

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Majhi had sought the help of their parents and relatives to convince his wife to relent, but with no success, so he lodged a police complaint, according to The Indian Express.

The police tried many times via video calls to convince the woman that neither she nor her son will get Covid-19, to no avail until they decided to rescue the duo.

In a glimpse into Majhi's isolated life, Indian broadcaster NDTV reported that throughout the three years, she cut her son's and her own hair.

Meals were prepared with an induction cooker and rubbish had accumulated in the house as it had not been thrown out for three years. Both mother and son had not been out in the sun throughout the period.

Neighbours say they have no idea both Majhi and the boy were locked inside their home.

Majhi and her son are now getting treated at a hospital.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.