Mistaken for thief and tied to pole, Chhattisgarh man rescued by police and reunited with family

Kasaragod: A man who was mistaken for a thief and tied to a pole by residents is now back with his family in Chhattisgarh, after Chittarikkal police and a rehabilitation centre helped him recover from a mental health crisis and trace his relatives.

Balak Netam (34) started off from his hometown in Chhattisgarh with a group of migrant workers in search of a job. During the journey, he got separated from his group. Balak then began hitching rides and eventually found himself in Perumbatta in Kasaragod's hill panchayat of West Eleri. There, his distress took a turn that could have ended very differently.

About three weeks ago, Chittarikkal police received a call reporting a suspected thief at a house in the area. By the time the officers arrived, residents had caught Balak, tied him to a pole and subdued him. He had sustained bruises while trying to escape.

The residents told the police that Balak had approached the house asking for water. When he began behaving erratically and speaking incoherently, they suspected he was a thief and a troublemaker.

But the police team, led by Sub-Inspector Biju, soon realised that the man was not in a stable mental state. “The people thought he was a thief because of the way he behaved. We realised that he needed help,” said Civil Police Officer Sreekanth P, who was part of the team.

The officers took Balak to the police station, but he panicked and tried to run away. They restrained him, calmed him down and took him to hospital. Recognising that he needed specialised care, Senior Civil Police Officer Prasanth and Civil Police Officer Mahesh later took him to Snehalayam Psychosocial Rehabilitation Centre at Ambalathara in Pullur-Periya panchayat.

Police inquiries established his identity as Balak Netam, a native of Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh. He is married and has three children who did not know where he went.

At Snehalayam, Balak received treatment and care and recovered within a week, said the centre's director, Bro Ishodas.

Once he was able to provide his address and phone number, the staff contacted his family. On Friday, October 23, his brother-in-law, Lachuram, and his nephews arrived at the centre to take him home.