Panchayat Clash: Woman Attacked After Marital Status Meeting

A woman in Jharkhand's Simdega district was left critically injured on Wednesday after being attacked following a panchayat meeting concerning her marital status. The woman, who hails from Odisha, had been living with a married man as his second wife, leading to frequent familial disputes.

The local panchayat convened on Tuesday to address the issue in Pahartoli, but the woman was viciously assaulted with a knife hours later and abandoned in a nearby forest. Police arrived quickly at the scene upon learning of the attack and ensured she received urgent medical care. Her condition remains serious.

The Superintendent of Police, Md Arshi, confirmed that an investigation is underway, with police preparing to question the victim once she is stable. The role of the panchayat meeting in the sequence of events is currently being scrutinized as a part of the inquiry.

(With inputs from agencies.)