Jharkhand: Woman’s hair chopped off, beaten for ‘refusing’ to marry

Medininagar: A 19-year-old woman was allegedly beaten up, her hair chopped off, and then paraded on the orders of village panchayat members in Jharkhand’s Palamu district, after she reportedly refused to get married, police said on Monday.

The incident took place on Sunday at a village around 185 km from capital Ranchi, they said.

“Four persons, including three panchayat members and the sister-in law of the woman have been detained for interrogation,” Patan Police Station In-charge Gulshan Gaurav said.

The woman is undergoing treatment at Medininagar Medical College and Hospital.

Gaurav said according to the statement of villagers, the wedding of the woman was fixed for April 20, but when the groom reached her village on the fixed date, she refused to marry.

“Thereafter, she went missing for 20 days and returned on Sunday,” he said.

As she arrived, a village panchayat was convened in the presence of her family members and relatives.

“The panchayat asked the woman about her whereabouts, but she kept quiet. Then, based on the panchayat members’ decision, her hair was chopped off and she was paraded in the village. She was also beaten up,” Gaurav said.