THE BRUTAL assault of a woman and tonsuring of her head by a mob in Adalchak Dumaria village in Patna yesterday on suspicion that she was a witch created pandemonium in the Bihar assembly today.

 

The opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) raised the issue and created a ruckus in the House and waved news reports appearing in the press during zero hour. The incumbent government came in for criticism from senior RJD MLA and former state minister Shyam Razak who alleged that women are not safe under the Nitish Kumar government. Women were being tortured by feudal elements represented by the present regime, Rajak alleged even as his party legislators shouted slogans demanding severe punishment for police personnel who failed to prevent the ghastly incident. Chief minister Nitish Kumar said he had taken cognizance of the incident.

 

The 45-year old woman, Lalpari Devi of Naubatpur village, in Patna was accused of practicing witchcraft and mercilessly beaten up before being tonsured and paraded in the Adalchak Dumaria village in Patna. The woman had gone to Adalchak village to treat a woman suffering from mental problems, police told the local media.

 

When Lalpari arrived in the village on Thursday, villagers pounced on her and tied her to a tree. They began assaulting her tonsured her head and set her hair on fire. Not satisfied with the punishment meted out they tied her hands and paraded her through the village. Village elders instead of intervening joined in on the unseemly proceedings, which occurred a stone’s throw away from the local police station. Later the police arrested a number of people.

 

While Lalpari told the police that she was in the habit of helping people suffering from different ailments, a section of villagers were convinced that she was into witchcraft. Ironically the police have also arrested Lalpari along with those who assaulted her because they felt she was into tricking people.