Woman rescued after 7-year torture by brother

UDUPI: A 35-year-old woman tortured allegedly by her brother for seven years was rescued from their house in Udupi district on Wednesday night. Police said neighbours learnt about the woman's alleged house arrest and admitted her to the district government hospital in Ajjarakadu.

After her parents died a few years ago, Revathi was doing housekeeping job and stayed with her brother Nithyananda and his wife Bhavani. Normal ties started souring between the siblings after Bhavani delivered a baby girl seven years ago.

Revathi claimed that she was served only rice and barred from going out of the house. ''My brother and his wife used to hit me on the face with spoons," she alleged. In her complaint to police, she said she was thrashed by her brother and wife on Sept 9, and was not given food on Wednesday.

Police have registered a case against Nithyananda and Bhavani, and are looking into the complaint. An investigating officer said there "wasn't sufficient evidence" to conclude she was under house arrest. "She was tortured. We will investigate the case further," he added.

Nithyananda, a mason, claimed that Revathi was being treated for an unspecified medical illness at a private hospital in Doddanagudde, Udupi. The treatment was suspended as he had run out of money. He trashed all allegations, and said she was given full-course meal and allowed to go out of the house. The unmarried woman, identified as Revathi, has wounds on her elbow and wrist, and several scars. She is from Mudumbu in Innanje, near Kaup, 13km south of Udupi.