Navi Mumbai: Techie Lives in Self-Imposed 3-Year Lockdown, Survives via Online Food Orders Amid Flat Littered with Waste
Navi Mumbai: Techie Lives in Self-Imposed 3-Year Lockdown, Survives via Online Food Orders Amid Flat Littered with Waste
A 55-year-old man named Anup Kumar Nair, who had locked himself inside his Navi Mumbai apartment for more than three years, was recently rescued by a local NGO. Anup, who used to work as a computer programmer, had been living alone after losing his parents and brother. His health and mental condition had worsened during this time, and he had no contact with anyone except through online food delivery.
The rescue happened after the NGO, Social and Evangelical Association for Love (SEAL), got a call about his situation. Their team went to his flat at Gharkool CHS in Sector 17, Navi Mumbai. They managed to enter the flat and found it in a terrible state. The apartment was extremely dirty, with garbage and human waste all around. Anup was found sleeping on a chair because most of the furniture was missing. He also had a serious leg infection and needed urgent medical care.
According to reports, Anup had not spoken to his neighbors or family for a long time. His neighbors said that he would rarely open the door and wouldn’t even take out his garbage. At times, society members had to step in to help him. Some relatives had tried to reach him after his parents passed away, but he refused to speak with them or trust anyone.
Anup’s condition started getting worse after a series of personal tragedies. His brother died by suicide nearly 20 years ago. Later, in the last six years, both his mother and father also passed away. His mother had worked in the telecommunications department of the Indian Air Force, and his father was employed at Tata Hospital in Mumbai.
After losing his family, Anup became depressed and slowly stopped going outside or interacting with people. He lived completely alone and did not have any friends. He also had no job, and his poor health made it even harder for him to work. Some of his neighbors helped him with transferring his late parents’ fixed deposit into his bank account, but even then, he remained shut off from the world.
Now, after being rescued, Anup is staying at SEAL Ashram in Panvel. He is getting the treatment he needs and some support to start feeling better again. He said that he has no one left in his life, and because of his health, it’s hard to find a new job.
Experts believe that losing loved ones can cause deep emotional pain. In some cases, this sadness can turn into depression. When that happens, people may start to feel helpless and worthless. This can lead them to cut off ties with the world and stop taking care of themselves.
Anup’s story is one of many in big cities where people feel very alone despite being surrounded by others. Thankfully, in this case, help arrived in time. But social workers say there are many others who live and die in silence, behind locked doors, without anyone knowing what they are going through.
