NAGPUR: Call it an act of inhumanity or a family's desperate choice, a man remained tied to a tree in the tiny courtyard of his own house for a decade and a half. This unusual house arrest was administered to him by his own family. The reason? a mental illness that made him too violent to handle.After more than two decades of distress, 45-year-old Subhash Gadhave, a farm labour of Ajansara village in Hinganghat tehsil of Wardha district, could finally be declared mentally fit enough to be 'harmless'. His disease itself, schizophrenia , should not have affected his behaviour to such an extent. His family is not sure when he developed schizophrenia. All they remember is that he was absolutely normal till the age of 18 and even worked in the fields.One day, Subhash had a quarrel while at work and thereafter started acting strange, being angry and aggressive. Some villagers claim he had sustained a head injury during the fight. He picked up fights with everybody easily, which would often take a violent turn. More than once, these fist fights became so intense that his opponents had almost killed Subhash.Increasing episodes of violence made his mother Sitabai, the only bread winner of family, take a tough decision. She decided to tie him to the tree outside the house with iron chains. Clad in just a pyjama most of the time, Subhash remained tethered like an animal without a roof over his head, come rain or shine.All his activities remained limited to the extent the chains would allow. With poor personal hygiene, he soon had a long beard and unkempt hair and started looking like a real jungle boy.Ironically, Subhash's capacity to survive the vagaries of nature made villagers think that he had supernatural powers. His appearance made the villagers take him to be a godman. They started worshipping him and calling him 'Bediwale Baba'. Sitabai is amazed how he survived these long 15 years despite extreme weather condition. "Many people from nearby villages started coming to meet him to seeking solutions to all their problems in life, bringing rich offerings along," told an amazed Sitabai.The old woman has seen many a tragedy strike her family through the years. After Subhash's mental conditions deteriorated, his wife left him, taking their child away with her. Then, her younger son Valmiki's marriage brought some cheer, but unfortunately that, too, ended on a bitter note as the wife died after giving birth to a son. Valmiki remarried but the second wife left him soon after. She even left her son, now 16 with the Gadhaves.The patriarch of the family and Sitabai's husband Ramaji lost his vision due to cataract. Through all this, it was Sitabai who had to fend for her family. While Subhash's mental condition and reputation in the village were such that he would never have got a job, the younger son stayed at home, claiming disability and showing an injury mark on his left leg to prove it.Eking out a living as a land labourer, Sitabai manages to earn a meager sum of Rs 50 or 60 per day. But she has got used to the tough life like her son. "I have got used to taking care of the entire family. I have done it all these years and I will do it in the future too," said Sitabai.