American woman is found chained to a tree and left to die in Indian jungle before local shepherd heard her shouts and saved her

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

Lalita Kayi Kumar, 50, was found in a forest near Sonurli village, roughly 280miles from Mumbai, on Saturday morning. She had been tied to a tree with an iron chain.

Kumar, whose right leg was swollen from the chain, was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition. She was severely dehydrated, unable to speak and likely had not eaten in several days, the Lokmat Times reported.

It is unclear how long Kumar was in the jungle, as the area experienced heavy rains recently, but according to India TV, she told investigators that her former husband had tied her to the tree. She also claimed to have gone 40 days without food.

Police have launched an attempted murder case against Kumar's ex-husband. He also faces act endangering life or personal safety of others and wrongful confinement charges.

A cattle herder found Kumar near Sawantwadi on Saturday morning after he heard loud noises coming from within the dense forest.

Police arrived at the scene and used a cutter to break the chain and freed her from the tree. She was rushed to a primary healthcare center in Sawantwadi, where she received initial treatment.

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

Footage recorded from inside the hospital showed Kumar writing a note about her condition in which she claimed her former husband had left her in the forest after a domestic dispute. She also alleged to have not eaten in over a month. 

'She is out of danger,' a police official told The Telegraph Online. 'Doctors treating her said she suffers from psychiatric problems. We have found medical prescriptions in her possession.'

Officials say Kumar is doing 'fine', but remains under observation and is 'suffering from psychiatric issues'. She is reportedly 'weak' and 'not in a position to give her statement' to police at this time.

Kumar was born in the US but had been living in Goa, a neighboring state to where she was found, was 'some time'. Officials are trying to determine who she has been in touch wife over the past few months.

It is believed that Kumar, who was married to a man from the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the same area where Vice President Kamala Harris' father is from, had been living in India for he past 10 years. 

Authorities recovered a photocopy of her US passport and her national identity card from the scene. Officials also said her 'visa has expired'.