ZP member’s promise brings girl out of 12 year ’incarceration’

ZP member’s promise brings girl out of 12 year ’incarceration’

Mangalore Today News Network

Ullal, March 8, 2016: In 2000, nearly 16 years ago, a small family of four women - A grandmother, mother with two little daughters, were studying in an English Medium School in Mangaluru.  During a school outing to Pilikula, the younger sibling died in the famous Pilikula boat tragedy and the older sibling then around 10 yrs old, has not come to terms with the loss, she has remained upset within the confines of her house.


On March 7, 2016, Someshwar GP Member Dhanlaxmi and several other BJP volunteers rescued this 26-year-old  girl and sent her to a rehabilitation centre.

Recap :  Gopal and Swarnalatha couple, hailing from Kuloor had two children-Beena and Anusha.  Over the years, for some reason Swarnalatha had shifted to her maternal home near Someshwar with her two daughters. Both Beena and Anusha used to go to a school in Mangaluru.

On January 21, 2000 a total of 247 students of the school were taken on an outing to Pilikula and tragedy struck this family of four when 23 children were put in a boat for a ride and the boat capsized, killing 15 children, including Anusha.  For Beena, her younger sister Anusha meant a world.

When she realised that she had lost Anusha for ever, she went into a depressed state and then her life went down hill.  She would turn violent, often waging attacks on her grandmother and mother.  The family had then admitted Beena to Fr Muller’s Hospital for treatment, but got only part relief.

When Beena’s behaviour was beyond all control,  her mother and grandmother took a difficult decision of locking her up in the room and providing her food and other requirements to the room.  Over the last 12 years, Beena’s life has been confined to this room.  The matter came to light during the Zilla Panchayat poll campaigning.

Someshwar ZP cosntituency Candidate Dhanlaxmi and other BJP volunteers had visited the area and on reaching the house of Jalajakshi and Swarnalatha, they learnt about Beena and the difficult condition in which the family has been living.

Dhanlaxmi promised the family that once the elections are over she would return and take Beena to a proper rehabilitation centre.  In line with this BJP volunteers took Beena in Someshwar Panchayat President Rajesh Uchil’s vehicle to a rehabilitation centre.  She was taken to Paschim Rehab Centre, Neherunagar.

Rohith, Director of the Centre says that mentally disturbed persons if given proper treatment and care can return to live a normal life.   “Proper and in time treatment and and care is what is essential,” he said.

With ZP member Dhanlaxmi a Good Samaritan into the lives of Jalajakshi and Swarnalatha, one may have to wait and watch how Beena comes out of her tragedy to lead a normal life in the future.