A horrific case of cruelty and exploitation has emerged from Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh, where 70 year old retired senior clerk Omprakash Singh Rathore and his 27 year old mentally ill daughter, Rashmi, were allegedly held captive and starved in their own home for five years.

The ordeal, orchestrated by a servant couple hired to care for them, resulted in Omprakash’s death due to prolonged neglect. Rashmi was rescued in a skeletal state, barely able to breathe.

The suspects, Ramprakash Kushwaha and Ramdevi, reportedly isolated the duo to seize their property and pension, even placing their own nameplate on the house to claim heirship.

UP Horror

The nightmare began following the death of Omprakash’s wife in 2016, which prompted him to move into a separate house with Rashmi. Seeking assistance, he employed Ramprakash Kushwaha and his wife, Ramdevi.

However, the couple gradually usurped control of the residence, confining the father and daughter to the lower rooms while they occupied the upper floor.

Over five years, they systematically isolated the duo from the outside world. Whenever relatives visited, the servants would falsely claim that Omprakash and Rashmi were too unwell or unwilling to meet anyone, a ruse that successfully kept the family at bay until it was too late.

Horror of the Death Chamber

Inside what relatives now describe as a “slow death chamber,” the duo was subjected to systematic starvation and denial of medical care. The physical toll on Rashmi was so severe that she appeared decades older than her 27 years, her body reduced to a mere skeletal frame.

The servant couple’s audacity extended to legal manipulation, as they allegedly installed a nameplate declaring themselves the legal heirs to the property.

This grim reality was only uncovered after Omprakash’s death, when relatives finally gained entry to the house. The police have since moved Rashmi to a hospital and sent Omprakash’s body for a post-mortem to confirm the extent of the neglect.

The Logical Indian’s Perspective

This incident is a chilling reminder of how the most vulnerable members of our society can be utterly failed by both their immediate surroundings and the broader community. The calculated cruelty of the caretakers, fueled by pure greed, is a dark stain on our collective humanity.

It is distressing that such a tragedy could unfold over five years without intervention, highlighting the need for more vigilant neighbourhood networks and social security for the elderly and disabled.

We must ensure that the “modern-day slavery” of the vulnerable is met with the strictest legal punishment to deter such heinous crimes.