Rescued woman, daughter lived in inhuman conditions

ALLAHABAD: The mother-daughter duo who were rescued on Saturday after eight years of captivity in Balipur Tata village of Kaushambi district were kept under inhuman conditions by the head of the family Sarju Tiwari.

Not only were they malnourished, they were also given painkillers without a doctor’s prescription. Sarju claimed his wife and daughter were possessed by an evil spirit.

Talking to HT, Amit Pandey, a priest from Haryana who played a key role in their rescue, said Sarju had contacted him for performing puja at his house.

“I have always been against superstitions. I ask people to visit a doctor instead of approaching tantriks for treatment. I decided to visit Sarju’s house and investigate into the problem. Before I entered his house, he warned me that I would confront Brahma Rakshas (evil spirit) in the guise of his wife Shashikala and daughter Kanchan,” he said.

“I sent Sarju outside the house on some pretext. Shashikala started crying and begged me to rescue her,” the priest added.

He said when neighbours did not help, he contacted the police.

“Police were reluctant to take action but accompanied me after senior officials and MLA Sanjay Gupta intervened,” Pandey claimed. He said Shashikala was fine but Kanchan was suffering from some mental illness and required proper attention.

“Unhygienic condition prevailed in the house. Sarju had dug pits in the courtyard for his wife and daughter to relieve themselves. The utensils used for eating and drinking water were stinking. The house was dimly lit and they were forced to sleep on hay,” he said.

Shashikala hails from Meerapur area in Allahabad and is a graduate. She wanted to educate her children but was silenced by Sarju. Villagers claimed Sarju had created a fear of Brahma Rakshas among them.

SP, Kaushambi, VK Mishra claimed Shashikala and Kanchan were mentally unsound and were undergoing treatment at the hospital. “Allegations against Sarju Tiwari are being investigated as he claims he was taking care of his wife and daughter,” Mishra added.