24-year-old woman tonsured, dragged to jungle on panchayat diktat in Jharkhand

A 24-year-old tribal woman was thrashed, garlanded with shoes, her head tonsured and was left to die in the jungle by her family for refusing to marry a man of her their choice.

The 24 year old woman who was tortured by her villagers

RANCHI: A 24-year-old tribal woman was thrashed, garlanded with shoes, her head tonsured and was left to die in the jungle by her family for refusing to marry a man of her their choice. The torture meted out to her was under the diktat issued by the Jogidih village Panchayat in Palamu. She was later rescued by the police from the Selari jungle of Tarhasi village and admitted to Medinirai Medical College and Hospital.

The woman’s parents had died eight years ago and she was living with her brother and two sisters. The marriage was fixed at Manika in Latehar by her elder sister who is already married. “They were forcing me to get married. And when I refused, they beat me, tonsured me, and dragged me into the jungle after parading me with a garland of shoes in the village,” said the woman.

According to villagers, the woman was to get married on April 20 but the ‘baraat’ returned after she refused to do so. Under pressure, she ran off to her sister in Latehar and was later brought back to the village by her cousin brothers after 20 days. The villagers were under impression that the girl was in love with someone and hence was refusing to get married.

“After her return, a Panchayat was called on Sunday. This time they were forcing her to tell her lover’s name, but she kept silent. Annoyed with her silence, the panchayat then issued the diktat,” told a local villager requesting anonymity. The girl then spent the night in the jungle under a ‘mahua’ tree and was spotted by the cattle grazers in the morning, he added.

Police said that the girl has been admitted to the hospital for medical examination and process of FIR has started on the basis of the statement recorded by her family members. FIR, however, was not registered till late in the evening while this report was being filed.

“A hunt for those involved has been started after identifying them,” said Gulshan Gaurav, office in charge of Patan police station. Some scar marks have also been found on the girl’s body including private parts, which is also being investigated, he added.