Buela Tomas was a patient of depression, say neighbours

The neighbours of Buela Tomas, currently lodged in a jail in Bangalore for trying to enter Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) headquarters using a fake identity card, know her as a nice woman, though suffering from depression.

“She used to be locked up in her house for days. She knows only Malayalam and English,” they said.

Buela, a native of Kerala, is married to Alexander Tomas, teacher at a city-based school. She has twin daughters.

Buela’s neighbours at Radha Apartments on Anandnagar Road in the city told DNA that she finds it hard to adjust socially. Even though she has been living in the house for last eight years, most of the neighbours don’t even know her full name.

“She finds it difficult to communicate as she doesn’t speak a language that we know,” her neighbour Sharmisthaben told DNA, adding, “She can only say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, and ‘how are you’ in Hindi.”

Neighbours believe she was in a state of depression for many years. “Most of the time, she kept herself locked up in her house as it would be difficult to trace her if she left the house,” another neighbour, Arpita, told DNA.

Her husband Tomas is not traceable and his cell phone too is not reachable. According to a neighbour, after hearing about Buela’s arrest, the family went to an undisclosed place.

A team of Central Intelligence Bureau (CIB) had questioned Tomas on Tuesday morning. A team of ISRO officials too had questioned him as well as other relatives and neighbours of Buela in connection with the case registered against her.