Abandoned as mentally challenged by his family, a man in an Orissa village has been bound in chains for the last 26 years.
Ananta Charana Dash, 56, from Hanumantapala village in Kendrapada district has been shackled by his wife who says she had no other option. Dash, who has two sons and a daughter, has been unable to move out of home and hobbles around with chains around his legs.
"He developed a mental disorder more than 25 years ago. He became violent and often attacked people. We tried our best to treat him in the local government hospital, but did not get any results," his wife Sarathi said.
He was once admitted to a hospital in Cuttack, but his condition did not improve.
"My father-in-law Banshidhar Dash sold away four acres of land to meet the expenses of his treatment. After his death in 1990, we had no choice but to chain him," she said.
Their two sons, Akshya and Abhaya, are doing odd jobs in New Delhi to maintain the family.