Lalita Kayi, 50, was rescued on July 27 from the dense forests of Sindhudurg district after shepherds heard her cries for help.
In a written statement to the police, she alleged that her husband “chained her and left her in the forest to die without food or water.”
Ms. Kayi’s predicament shocked India, prompting the police to form several teams to investigate how she ended up in the forest.
It has since been revealed that there is no husband involved.
Saurabh Agarwal, superintendent of police for Sindhudurg, told BBC Marathi on Tuesday, August 6, that Ms. Kayi has now stated she was not married and was likely hallucinating when she gave her initial statement.
The police reported that she explained she was distressed because her visa had expired, and she was running out of money. In her distress, she purchased locks and chains and tied herself to the tree.
Dr. Sanghamitra Phule, superintendent of the psychiatric hospital where Ms. Kayi is being treated, told BBC Marathi that “her condition is improving.”
“She eats, walks, and exercises. She is under treatment, and we are also providing her with nutrients that her body was lacking.”
Dr. Phule said her family had been traced in the US, and Ms. Kayi was in contact with them by phone.
Ms. Kayi, who is receiving treatment in a psychiatric facility, has not spoken publicly. The US embassy has also refused to comment, citing her right to privacy.
She was found on July 27 by a cow herder who had taken his cattle to graze in the forest and heard “a woman screaming loudly.”
“The sound was coming from the forest on the side of the mountain. When I went there, I saw that one of her legs was tied to a tree. She was screaming like an animal. I called other villagers and the local police.”
The police sawed off the chain and rescued her. Ms. Kayi, who appeared completely emaciated, was taken to the hospital. After her physical health improved, she was moved to a psychiatric facility for further treatment.
Police found on her a copy of her passport, identifying her as a US citizen from Massachusetts, and other documents with her home address in Tamil Nadu. She also had a mobile phone, a tablet, and 31,000 rupees ($370; £290) in her possession.
Initially unable to speak, Ms. Kayi communicated with the police and doctors by scribbling notes on a pad.
She claimed she was married to a man in Tamil Nadu and blamed him for tying her to the tree. She also claimed to have gone without food and water for 40 days. However, the police questioned this claim, stating it was unlikely for someone to survive that long without food or water.
