WIDOWED MOM PARADED NAKED

Police arrested five people, including two sons and daughters-in-law of a middle-aged Dalit widow who was publicly beaten and paraded half naked in a village in Bihar's Gaya district, police said on Friday,24^th August,2012. Sonma Devi, a ward member of Lalu Panchayat under Mohanpur police station of the district, was injured when her sons and daughters-in-law assaulted her and forcibly cut her hair. They later paraded her half naked in Lanlganj village Wednesday. Sonma Devi, mother of three sons, had called up the women's helpline to complain. "Police arrested five accused including two sons and daughters-in-law of the woman and sent them to judicial custody," deputy superintendent of police Rakesh Kumar said. Mr Kumar said that Sonma Devi complained that her children abused, assaulted and humiliated her in a bid to get her to part with property. 

 Some villagers said that the sons had cast aspersions on their mother's character and forced her out of the house before assaulting her. A case was lodged in the women's police station in Gaya against Sonma Devi's three sons and daughters-in-law on the basis of a directive from the women's helpine. Sonma Devi was admitted to Anugrah Narain Medical College and Hospital in Gaya for treatment. Mohanpur police station officer in-charge Pitambar Rai said that all accused would soon be chargesheeted, and the case would be treated as a heinous crime. ( Times of India-24^th August,2012)

Prof. John Kurakar