American woman is found chained to a tree and left to die in the Indian jungle before local shepherd heard her screams and rescued her

An American woman who was chained to a tree and left for dead in the Indian jungle has been rescued after a local shepherd heard her agonizing cries for help.

Lalita Kayi Kumar, 50, was found Saturday morning in a forest near the village of Sonurli, about 280 miles from Mumbai, tied to a tree with an iron chain.

Kumar, whose right leg was swollen from the chain, was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition. She was severely dehydrated, unable to speak and had probably not eaten for days, the Lokmat times reported.

It is unclear how long Kumar was in the jungle as the area recently experienced heavy rainfall, but according to Indian televisionshe told investigators that her ex-husband had tied her to the tree. She also claimed that she had gone 40 days without food.

Police have launched an attempted murder case against Kumar’s ex-husband. He is also accused of endangering the life or personal safety of others and wrongful confinement.

The woman was found tied to a tree, emaciated, by a cattle herder. The woman said her husband had left her there after a domestic dispute

She was rushed to a local hospital, where she was treated for several conditions, including dehydration.

Initial reports indicate that authorities are investigating the possibility that the woman’s husband had something to do with the incident

“She is out of danger,” a police official told The Telegraph Online

A cattle farmer found Kumar near Sawantwadi on Saturday morning after hearing loud noises coming from the dense forest.

Police arrived at the scene and used a cutter to break the chain and free her from the tree. She was rushed to a primary health centre in Sawantwadi where she was given initial treatment.

Kumar was later transferred to a more advanced facility for further treatment.

Footage captured at the hospital showed Kumar writing a note about her condition, claiming that her ex-husband had left her in the forest after a domestic dispute. She also claimed that she had not eaten for over a month.

“She is out of danger,” a police officer said The Telegraph Online. ‘Doctors treating her said she was suffering from psychiatric problems. We found medical prescriptions in her possession.’

Officials say Kumar is “doing fine” but remains under observation and “suffering from psychiatric issues.” She is reportedly “weak” and “unable to give her statement” to police at this time.

Kumar was born in the US but had been living in Goa, a neighbouring state of where she was found, for “some time”. Officials are trying to determine who she may have been in contact with in recent months.

Kumar, who was married to a man from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the same area where Vice President Kamala Harris’ mother is from, is believed to have lived in India for the past 10 years.

Authorities found a photocopy of her U.S. passport and national ID card at the crime scene. Officials also said her “visa has expired.”