UP shocker: Domestic-help couple held ex-railway employee, daughter captive for 5 years; man starved to death
Hired as cooks, the couple allegedly took control of the house and held the father-daughter captive
PTC Web Desk: A deeply disturbing case of alleged abuse and exploitation has come to light in Uttar Pradesh’s Mahoba district, where a retired railway employee and his differently abled daughter were allegedly confined inside their own home for nearly five years by a domestic-help couple, reportedly to usurp their property and savings.
The elderly man, Om Prakash Singh Rathore (70), died due to extreme neglect and starvation, while his 27-year-old daughter Rashmi was rescued in a severely malnourished condition, barely alive.
According to family members, Om Prakash retired from the railways in 2015 and began living separately with Rashmi after his wife passed away the following year. Since he could not manage household chores on his own, he hired Ram Prakash Kushwaha and his wife Ram Devi to assist him and care for his daughter.
What began as help allegedly turned into captivity. Om Prakash’s brother, Amar Singh Rathore, alleged that the couple slowly took control of the house, restricting the father and daughter to rooms on the ground floor while they occupied the upper portion of the building.
“They isolated my brother and niece completely. He was taken to a hospital just once in all these years. Whenever we tried to visit, the couple would send us away, claiming Om Prakash did not want to meet anyone,” Amar Singh said.
He further alleged that the two were deprived of proper food and basic care. “They claimed to give them chapatis twice a day, but if that were true, their bodies would not have reached such a horrifying state,” he said.
The family was informed of Om Prakash’s death on Monday. When relatives reached the house, they were left shaken by what they found. The elderly man’s body was extremely emaciated, while Rashmi was discovered naked, locked inside a dark room, reduced to a skeletal frame.
“She looked decades older because of hunger. There was no flesh left on her body, just bones and breathing,” another family member said, breaking down as he described the scene.
The family alleged that the prolonged abuse was driven by the accused couple’s desire to gain control over Om Prakash’s property and bank accounts.
Doctors at the district hospital declared Om Prakash dead on arrival. His body has been taken into police custody and sent for post-mortem examination. Rashmi is currently undergoing medical treatment.
Police officials said a detailed investigation is underway and appropriate legal action will follow based on the post-mortem report and statements of witnesses.