40 mentally-ill persons found chained near MP shrine rescued

Ratlam (MP), June 26 (PTI): In a shocking incident, as many as 40 ‘mentally-ill’ persons were found chained and detained in various hotels and lodges in the vicinity of Hussain Tekri shrine near Jaora town in the district, following which they were rescued by police.

“We rescued about 40 persons, who were chained, during a search operation conducted in Hussain Tekri area yesterday after we received complaints in this regard. We arrested Mohammed Saeed Akhtar, owner of Vasi Lodge, from where about a dozen persons were rescued,” Jaora City Superintendent of Police (CSP) Deepak Shukla said today.

He said Akhtar had kept around a dozen people chained at his lodge and was allegedly fleecing their family members.

Shukla said after rescuing 12 persons from Akhtar’s lodge, police traced another 28 persons, who were found in the similar condition in various lodges in the area.

As per a belief, mentally-ill people get “cured” when brought to the shrine and chained.

Usually, family members of such people chain them and keep them in hotels for certain period of time for “healing”.

However, it is not known since when these 40 persons had been chained, according to police.

Following the incident, the police have warned owners of hotels and lodges located around the shrine against keeping anybody chained in future.

“Nobody should be chained under no circumstances, irrespective of whether the person is mentally sick or sane.

We have warned owners of all the lodges and hotels in Hussain Tekri area against keeping anyone tied in chains. Now, it would be necessary for the family members to stay along with such mentally-ill persons,” Shukla said.

Recently, one Kaluram Chouhan (55), who was kept chained at Vasi lodge, escaped and subsequently approached the police with the help of his relatives. One Dilip Parmar, a resident of Sagorkuti village in Dhar district, had also lodged a similar complaint.

As per a belief, people “possessed with evil spirits” are brought to the shrine for healing.