NEW DELHI, Oct 9: A woman was allegedly stripped naked and beaten up by four of her neighbours, who also are her relatives, in a village in Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh, on suspicion of her practicing black magic.
Three of the four accused men, who are of the same family, have been arrested while the fourth accused was said to be absconding. A purported video of the incident, which reportedly occurred at Mandavi village on October 5, went viral on social media. In the clip, the woman is seen sitting without clothes and two men beating her.
A case was registered based on a complaint by the woman on October 7 at Manawar police station. According to reports, the woman’s neighbours believed she performed black magic due to which a woman in their family remained perpetually ill.
According to the Dhar Superintendent of Police, Aditya Pratap Singh, the woman was a widow who lived with her daughter. “The neighbours believed that she performed black magic and ended up beating her. We have registered a case under stringent sections of the IPC that will send a message across the district that such acts are barabaric and will attract punishment,” said Singh.
Police have also booked the person who recorded the incident under the IT Act. The three accused, identified as Lalu, Budha and Rajilya, are booked under various sections including 307 (attempt to murder), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 458 (house trespass or housebreak at night), 294 (obscene acts or words in public), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, the police said.
(Manas Dasgupta)