Jharkhand: 18-year-old woman raped, set ablaze by four men after panchayat slaps fine of Rs 50,000

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CHATRA: An 18-year-old woman, who was allegedly raped on the previous night, was set on fire by four men after a local village panchayat imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on them to settle the matter in the Chatra district.

According to reports, the woman is said to be in a critical condition and battling for life at a hospital with 98 percent burns. 

Meanwhile, all the accused are on the run.

A man accused of rape, along with his friends, had barged into the house of the victim in Raja Tendua Tola area and assaulted her parents before allegedly setting her on fire.

The woman's family had lodged a complaint with the local panchayat about the rape incident.

A panchayat was convened today in the village and a fine of Rs 50,000 was imposed on the accused. 

The panchayat even ordered the accused to do 100 sit-ups before it, according to the local police.

Enraged with the punishment, the accused refused to obey the panchayat directive and instead stormed into the house of the woman, along with his friends, and set her on fire.

The villagers then informed the local police which took the woman to a hospital.

Asked if the woman was in a relationship with the accused, police said they were investigating the case from all angles.

A case has been registered and a massive hunt has been launched to apprehend the culprit, the reports said. 

(With PTI inputs)