A 50-year-old American woman was found chained to a tree in a forest in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district. The police have charged her former husband with attempted murder based on a note she wrote in the hospital.

The woman, Lalita Kayi was discovered by a shepherd who heard her cries and saw her in distress. The shepherd notified the police. Kayi had her Aadhaar card and a photocopy of her U.S. passport with her. She has been in India for the past ten years and her visa has expired.

Kayi was taken to a hospital in Goa where doctors found she has psychiatric issues. The police also found medical prescriptions indicating her treatment for a mental illness.

Based on kayi note the police have charged her ex-husband with attempted murder, wrongful confinement and endangering life. They are investigating the authenticity of her claims and are trying to locate her former husband and other relatives in Tamil Nadu and Goa.