A deeply disturbing case of alleged captivity and exploitation has come to light in Uttar Pradesh's Mahoba district, where a servant couple is accused of confining a 70-year-old retired railway clerk and his 27-year-old mentally challenged daughter in their own home for approximately five years. The motive, according to police and family, was to illegally seize the elderly man's property.
The Gruesome Discovery
The incident unraveled after the elderly man, identified as Omprakash Rathore, was found dead in his house located in the city kotwali area. The situation came to the fore when some of his relatives, unable to contact him for an extended period, arrived at the residence on Monday. They were met with a horrifying scene.
Omprakash's body had considerably shrunk, suggesting he had died several days prior. His daughter was discovered naked in a dark room, severely malnourished and in a state of extreme neglect. The relatives immediately alerted the authorities.
A Timeline of Exploitation
According to statements from the family, the tragedy has its roots in 2016 following the death of Omprakash's wife. The retired clerk, who had superannuated in 2015, then moved into a separate house with his daughter, who has been mentally unwell since birth. Unable to manage household chores and care for his daughter alone, he employed a servant couple.
Relatives allege that over time, the servant couple systematically took control. They allegedly confined Omprakash and his daughter to the lower rooms of the house, while they themselves occupied the upper rooms. The father and daughter were reportedly starved and kept in complete confinement for at least two years, with their health deteriorating drastically.
"They made my brother and his daughter so helpless in due course of time that their condition deteriorated. They kept us out of the house making false pretexts," said Pushpa, Omprakash's sister-in-law. Whenever relatives visited, the servants would turn them away, claiming the father and daughter did not wish to meet anyone.
Property Fraud and Police Investigation
The exploitation extended beyond physical confinement. Family members claimed the servant couple had gained access to Omprakash's bank accounts. Shockingly, they had even put up their own nameplate on the house. Mahoba police confirmed that preliminary investigations revealed Omprakash had transferred the registered bill of the house into the name of the servant's wife, likely due to his dependence on them for long-term care.
Following the discovery, police took custody of Omprakash's body and sent it for a post-mortem examination. His daughter, found suffering from severe malnutrition, was shifted to a hospital for urgent medical attention.
Mahoba Superintendent of Police Vandana Singh stated that the post-mortem report attributed the cause of Omprakash's death to a chronic lung disease. She acknowledged the family's allegations against the servant and maid, noting that the duo had been caring for the retired clerk and his daughter for the last eight years.
However, the police probe also indicated that the deceased's family members had made little effort to check on or care for Omprakash and his daughter over the years. "The allegations made by family members are being investigated. Action will be taken after the investigation," the police said. The servant couple is under scrutiny as the investigation continues to establish the full extent of their crimes.
