A mother was so terrified of catching Covid that she locked herself and her son in their two-bed flat for three years.
Munmun Majhi, 33, and her son, aged 10, were rescued by police on Wednesday February 22 after they spent three years locked inside their home in the city of Gurugram, in Haryana State, India.
The 33-year-old mother was so petrified that they would contract the virus if they stepped outside, that she did not let her husband, Sujan Majhi, enter his own home just one day after the first lockdown.
After tiring of the situation Sujan contacted the police, who initially did not believe him, and asked them to check on the well-being of his wife.
Police found piles of garbage and groceries in the flat, where the woman’s son had been drawing on the walls to stop himself being bored.
Police called Munmun Majhi after her husband, engineer Sujan Majhi, reported his concerns about her welfare
She had locked herself and their ten-year-old son in the dirty flat for three years because she was terrified 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 paying his rent and utilities.
He eventually 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 back into the family home.
Having enlisted 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: ‘We then made a video call, and when I saw the child, I became emotional. His hair had grown to his shoulders.’
The child had reportedly made personal contact with nobody else but his mother for the period they were locked up, and had spent his time drawing and writing on walls to keep himself busy.
The officer continued: ‘His mother was in panic over Covid. She had no intention of stepping out.
‘She kept saying, ‘I will not let my son step out because he will die immediately.
‘I kept talking to her, kept asking her if she needs any help. I think she started trusting me.
‘So when I called her to the police station today, she came, but the child was not with her.
Piles of rancid rubbish were found in the two-bedroom flat in Gurugram, in Haryana State, in India, alongside groceries and toys
The child had reportedly made personal contact with nobody else but his mother for the period they were locked up, and had spent his time drawing and writing on walls
Both Ms Majhi and her son were admitted to hospital for treatment and she is receiving psychiatric help
‘We finally managed to convince her. She was taken to a hospital, and we then went to the flat to rescue the child.’
When the police broke into the house they were shocked by the amount of garbage Mrs Majhi had stored inside.
They additionally encountered piles of clothes, hair, empty grocery packets scattered around on the floor and a thick layer of dirt all over the place.
After they found the boy in one of the bedrooms, the officers immediately took him to the hospital.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar said: ‘There was so much garbage inside that if a few more days had passed, anything untoward could have happened.’
Gurgaon Civil Surgeon Dr Virender Yadav said: ‘A medical team, including psychiatrists, is evaluating them.
The woman has psychological issues. Both of them have been referred to PGI [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 and added: ‘I am happy they are out. I have to take care of their health.
‘Now they are being treated. I hope my life will be back on track soon.’
Read More: Mother, 34, who locked herself and her ten-year-old son in their house for three years
