Gurugram Woman Who Locked Herself, Son For 3 Years Over 'Fear Of COVID' Rescued

The woman neither allowed her son to venture out, nor her husband to enter the house to meet them, the Gurugram Police said.

(Photo:The Quint)

Video Editors: Abhishek Sharma, Mohd Irshad

A 36-year-old woman and her 10-year-old son were rescued from a flat in Gurugram's Maruti Vihar, in Sector-28, on Wednesday, 22 February, where the woman had locked themselves over fear of COVID-19 for the last three years.

The woman neither allowed her son to venture out, nor her husband to enter the house to meet them, the Gurugram Police said.

Visuals from he house of the woman, where groceries were strewn across.

(Photo: The Quint)

How they managed:

According to Gurugram Police:

• The woman started using induction stove for cooking after the two cylinders were exhausted.

• She would also reportedly order only packed food items that could be washed in soap.

• The husband, an engineer in a private firm, had to take another accommodation on rent nearby – and would keep in touch with is wife and son over video calls.

"He had stepped out for work after the initial lockdown restrictions were lifted. But she did not let him in after that," an official who was a part of rescuing team told FIT

He paid the monthly rent of the house, clear the electricity bills, deposit his son's school fees, buy groceries and vegetables and even leave the bags of ration outside the main door.

How it came to light: Assistant sub-inspector Parveen Kumar Khanna, in a statement, said that the woman's husband approached them seeking help to rescue his son as his wife was not allowing him to meet the child.

“It seemed to be a marital discord to us initially. However, we found that the woman probably had some disorder due to which she feared that her son would get infected with Covid-19," he said.

What happened next: A joint effort was made by psychiatrists, child welfare committee and police, to rescue the woman.

"The mother-son duo are fit physically. However, we have to do some tests to ascertain their mental health condition," Dr Virender Yadav, Chief Medical Officer, Gurugram said. The woman has been sent to PGI Rohtak for further examination.