Noida/New Delhi, Apr 12 (IANS): Two sisters, who locked themselves up in their home for seven months after falling into deep depression following the death of their father, were rescued Tuesday in a state of acute starvation, police said.The women, left to fend for themselves and in state of acute loneliness, have been admitted to Kailash Hospital in Noida, a suburb of Delhi in Uttar Pradesh.
According to the police, the sisters - Anuradha Behl, 41, and Sonali Behl ,38 - had shut themselves up in their house No.326, Sector-29 Noida, for seven months after their father Colonel (retired) O.P. Behl died two years ago. They had lost their mother earlier.
Police, acting on information from neighbours, had to break open the door when the sisters -- both unmarried -- refused to open the door, Superintendent of Police Anant Dev told IANS.
Sonali has suffered multiple organ weakness due to insufficient vitamin intake, according to Sarika Chandra, a senior doctor at Kailash Hospital.
A chartered accountant, Sonali had left practice after her parents' death.
Anuradha is also in a state of deep depression, according to the doctor.
Their younger brother Vipin Behl, who lives in Sector-50 of Noida, and a maternal uncle used to look after them, but after falling into depression, the two sisters were not cooperating with them, said Inspector Vijay Prakash of Sector-20 police station.
"We contacted Vipin, who is a software engineer in Gurgaon. He told us on phone that for the last four years he is not in contact with them," said the police officer.
The sisters had a dog at their home, which died two and a half months ago.
"When we opened the door, everyone started vomiting because of the foul smell. The elder woman was half nude and I think, she was in coma. She could not speak and did not know what was going on. So I called Kailash Hospital," social activist Usha Thakur, who accompanied police, told reporters here.
"I think they are mentally disturbed... their brother also left them and went to Sector 50 to stay there. There was no one to console or talk to them," added Thakur.
Their food came from some canteen, she said. "The neighbours said the food used to be kept outside the door," added Thakur. She said when the door of the house was opened, the women asked for water.
According to Sandeep Vohra, a psychiatrist, it could be a case of extreme emotional withdrawal.
"It could be extreme depression or depression underlined by some sort of psychotic element in it. In a case like this, both the daughters must have been emotionally dependent on their father and he may have been the one taking all the decisions for them," said Vohra.
According to him, this could also happen to people who are deeply introvert in nature.