Amritsar: Kicked out of her home and chained to a porch for days, 75-year-old Prerana Devi could finally move her frail body on Friday, after she was unchained by her family. However, except for the removal of chains, little had changed despite the Punjab State Women Commission taking note — she continued to live outside her house.JSS secretary Harsimran Singh said the organisation had earlier rescued her and admitted her to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital on April 14. “We admitted her and arranged treatment at our own expense,” he said.He alleged that her relatives later reached the hospital, argued with doctors and forcibly got her discharged. “After taking her back, they again kept her outside the house. Her relatives are financially stable, but they are mistreating her,” he said, adding that her weight had dropped to around 22 kg.A video of the woman being chained surfaced on April 15, prompting the Punjab State Women Commission to take suo motu cognisance and seek a report from the Amritsar deputy commissioner and commissioner of police by April 20. When contacted, DC Dalwinderjit Singh said: “We have marked an inquiry. Officers concerned will visit the spot and submit a report.”JSS members who visited again on April 17 found that while she was no longer chained, her condition remained critical. “Today, when we visited again, she was not chained, but she was still lying outside the house in a very poor condition. Even animals are not treated in such a manner,” Singh said.Residents alleged she had earlier been tied with a heavy chain and left without proper food.Calling it a serious human rights violation, Singh said, “This is extremely serious. Authorities must conduct an immediate investigation and take strict action against those responsible.”
