Woman thrashed for being childless, family tried to ‘cremate’ her alive - Hindustan Times
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Woman thrashed for being childless, family tried to ‘cremate’ her alive

Hindustan Times, Ara | ByPrashant Ranjan
Jan 22, 2019 07:38 PM IST

The 35-year-old woman had fainted after being assaulted for not bearing a child.

Bihar police saved a woman in the nick of time on Monday in Ara, 47 km west of the capital Patna just as her husband and in-laws were about to light a pyre where the victim was lying unconscious.

The woman is recovering in a hospital after being rescued by the police.(AP)
The woman is recovering in a hospital after being rescued by the police.(AP)

The 35-year-old woman had fainted after being assaulted for not bearing a child. When locals heard the woman being brought for cremation, they informed police who rushed to the spot and rescued her. But the accused fled the scene before the police arrived.

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The victim, Laxmi Devi, wife of Ravindra Thakur, a farmer, is convalescing at a local hospital. In her statement to police, she alleged that her in-laws bore a grudge against her for not bearing a child and often instigated her husband to torture her. She also alleged that she often kept unwell with several physical disorders but was never given proper medical treatment.

“I was unwell on Monday. On the instigation of my mother-in-law, my husband brutally thrashed me before I fell unconscious. Later, I do not know what they did to me. When I regained consciousness, I found myself in hospital,” she said, adding, her in-laws must have taken her to the river bank to set her on fire because they often wished that she had died.

Station House Officer (SHO) of Sandesh police station, Awadhesh Kumar Singh said the woman was very sick.

“The couple was married in 2001 and they had no child. Besides, Laxmi often remained sick. She used to be tortured for these reasons and could have died had we not reached on time,” he said.

Sub divisional police officer Pankaj Kumar said, “We acted swiftly following the alert from a local villager but the culprits probably got air of our arrival in advance and succeeded in fleeing. We raided their house but it was locked. The entire family is absconding while neighbours are tight-lipped. The culprits would not be spared,” he said.

Disturbing pictures of the feeble woman being rescued from the pyre that were circulated widely on social media has drawn widespread criticism from citizens.

The state women’s commission too has taken cognizance of the incident describing it “a curse on human civilization”. Its chairperson, Dilmani Mishra said the commission has written to the district police seeking immediate arrest of the culprits.

“Police must ensure the entire family is behind bars. Besides, we demand trial in fast track court. The guilty should be punished sooner,” she said and assured all possible help to the victim to get back to life and live with dignity.

Police said they have lodged a case against the woman’s husband and in-laws.

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