Barmer (Rajasthan), Sept 4 (IANS): He was 10-years-old when he was chained to a tree due to a medical affliction. Fifteen years later, he continues to be so treated and in the process has become mentally challenged. Even worse, his family has run out of money to treat him, with no government help forthcoming.

Ramesh Kumar, a resident of Jaliyala Bera village near Balotra in Barmer, some 550 km from state capital Jaipur. Ramesh is sometimes tethered to a tree outside his house, while at other times he is kept confined to a room with his legs tied to the bed.

The family is financially broke after spending all their meagre savings and selling their possessions over the past 15 years.

"A farmer never sells his tractor as it is his most prized possession that earns him and his family bread two times a day. However, my father Nemiram had to sell his tractor for Ramesh's treatment. He died in pain two years ago," the patient's younger brother Pukhraj told IANS.

Pukhraj said that Ramesh was 10-years old when he started developing the illness.

"Ramesh would suddenly clinch his jaws and become violent, as if he is in some kind of shock. This condition became frequent over the years. He would throw stones and try to cause harm to people pass by our house," said the brother.

He added that as treatment in the cities was expensive but yielded no results, they were forced to keep Ramesh in chains.

"The villagers had started bothering us. They told us to keep Ramesh under control," said Pukhraj.

Pukhraj said that it had been very painful to see his brother in chains when he was a child.

"My mother, who is not keeping well these days, says that she used to cry when she saw other children playing around him and even teasing him as he would be chained," Pukhraj said.

He said efforts to get help from the government for Ramesh's treatment were of no avail.

"I took him to every administration officer in the area for help, but nothing has been done," he lamented.