Woman in Malda beaten and stripped in public

A woman was stripped and beaten up by her neighbours after her cow went inside their land and damaged the crops. The woman’s son was also injured when he tried to save his mother from being humiliated in public.

The incident which occurred at Munnatola village of Kaliachak in Malda has invited criticism from 

various quarters. The woman and her son are fighting for their lives at Malda Medical College and Hospital. Police were conducting raids to nab the culprits.

Police said that the woman, a resident of Kumbhira panchayat found that her cow did not return home in the evening and went to search for it.  On Saturday night she came to know that some of her neighbours had tied up her cow with a rope and went to its rescue. When she went to the house she found that they had tortured the animal and broken its limbs with bamboo sticks.

The incident infuriated the woman and she wanted to know why they had carried out such an attack on a cow. Those who tied the cow started abusing the woman and later started beating her up. Finding no way to free herself from the clutches of the accused, the woman started shouting but failed to attract the attention of anybody who could come to her rescue.

The accused told the woman that her cow had damaged the crops on their land and that is why they were free to inflict sufferings on the woman and her cow in order to take revenge. Around seven family members had led the attack on the woman, stripped her of her dress in public. When she protested against the incident, the accused slashed her left hand with a sharp weapon as a result of which two of her fingers got severed.

The woman was writhing in pain. Few minutes later, her son reached the spot and found her mother in that condition. He was also beaten up the accused. After hearing about the whole incident, the local villagers rushed to the spot and rescued the mother and her son and took them to a nearby hospital. The accused had already fled the spot after the incident.

The victims were later shifted to Malda Medical College and Hospital as their condition deteriorated. According to the hospital authorities, the condition of the two patients was critical.

They were kept under close observation. On the basis of the complaint of the victims’ relatives the Baishnabnagar police have started a case. Police have booked the seven accused under various charges. They are conducting raids at various places in the district to nab the culprits who are still at large.