Father grills mentally unstable son for 15 years

In a bizarre incident, a retired government employee here has locked up his mentally unstable son inside a tiny room for 15 years as he could not afford the 35-year-old's treatment. The dingy 24 square-foot room, where Bikash Mohanty is confined, looks like a prison cell and has iron grill in the front ventilation. A toilet in the tiny room makes it unfit for living.

"As bouts of insanity increased, my restless child disturbed the peace of the locality. I was forced to cage him," Baman Mohanty, who was a class-four employee in the collectorate, said.

"I tried in vain to get him cured. I shouldered the burden of four daughters. My lifelong income has drained off in getting them married and in providing psychiatric treatment to my son," rued Baman.

Never did Bikash step out of his "cell", situated in Kapalaswar locality near the residences of the superintendent of police and district collector, ever since he was put under captivity in 1993, according to neighbours.

"Bikash, who developed a psychiatric disorder about 16 years back, underwent treatment in the Cuttack mental health institute, but showed no improvement.

"The surgeons suggested for prolonged spell of treatment and medication besides shock therapy. But the treatment cost was too expensive to continue with," Baman said.

Senior district officials confirmed having received a request for assistance to the treatment of Bikash from his father last week and are ready to extend help.

"The administration was not aware of it earlier. It is willing to bear the treatment expenses. We are planning to dispatch him to the country's leading psychiatric hospital and asylum in Ranchi," Kendrapara collector Kashinath Sahu said.

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