Karnataka: Youth held captive by mother for 17 years

Davanagere: In a shocking incident, a youth was kept locked in a solitary room for 17 years by his mother and was not allowed to answer nature's call at a village in Davanagere district. Keshavamurthy, around 30, walked out to freedom on Sunday after the neighbours, on coming to know about his confinement, broke the wall of the room and rescued him, police said.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Keshavamurthy was held in solitary confinement in a room in his house since 1995 by his mother Chowdamma at Lokkapura village for objecting her becoming "Devadasi" (a religious tradition in which girls are "married" to God) after getting separated from her husband.

The mother did not allow Keshavamurthy to go out even to answer nature's call and served food through a window of his room all these years, police said.

Police said the mother did not allow Keshavamurthy to go out and served food through a window of his room all these years.

The man, who sported long hair and beard, was given a shave by a barber and hairs were trimmed and was taken to National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences at Bangalore for check up, he said.

Defending her action, Chowdamma alleged that Keshavamurthy in his younger days used to beat house inmates including her and his brother. He also objected her becoming "Devadasi". "Hence, to teach him (Keshavmurthy) a lesson, I held him captive," she told the police. Chowdamma said she used to serve food in his room but did not allow him to attend to nature's call outside.

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