Woman's hair chopped, face blackened on panchayat's order in UP; TMC targets Yogi govt

Pratapgarh (UP): A married woman was tied to a tree, her hair chopped and face blackened on orders of a panchayat for allegedly having an affair with a man from her village, police said on Monday.

According to police, 15 people have been arrested in connection with the incident which took place in Chhotki Ibrahimpur village under Hatigaon police station area here on Sunday. Five other accused are on the run.

The woman's husband lived in Mumbai and returned home after he found out about his wife's affair. They have three children together, police said.

On Sunday, a panchayat was called in the presence of the woman's family. On the panchayat's orders, the woman was tied to a tree, her hair chopped off and her face blackened with soot, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) (Western), Sanjay Rai said.

When the woman's lover, the father of four children, tried to save her, he was thrashed. He managed to flee from the spot, the ASP said.

After receiving information about the incident, police personnel reached the spot and brought the woman to the police station, Rai said.

Based on a complaint by police station in-charge Inspector Nand Lal Singh, a case was registered against 20 people and 15 of them were arrested. Efforts are being made to arrest the remaining five, the officer said.

Meanwhile, TMC took a dig at the Yogi Adityanath govt in UP by sharing a video of the incident with a caption that read, "Under CM Yogi Adityanath, unchecked violence against women has become the order of the day. Meanwhile, those who spend their BORROWED TIME sermonising about 'Nari Shakti,' remain conspicuously silent on this abhorrent crime. (sic)