GUWAHATI: An Adivasi woman in Assam was beheaded for allegedly stealing a chicken.
The gruesome incident was reported from Barghuli in the State’s Sonitpur district, some 220 kilometres from Guwahati.
“We have arrested four persons in connection with the incident and retrieved the machete which was used to behead the woman. The accused committed the murder in an inebriated state,” Sonitpur Superintendent of Police Sanjukta Parasar told Express.
She added that the victim, 50-year-old Phaguni Kawari, also suffered cuts on the hand and stomach.
It was learnt that the four accused persons — Rafel Siren, Antoni Topno, Sanjay Siren and Rate Topno — had a tiff with the family of Phaguni for the past few days over the alleged theft of the chicken.
“They (accused persons) alleged that she had stolen the chicken and feasted on it. Last (Monday) evening, the quartet went to her house and beheaded her after a brief altercation with her and her husband,” Inspector of Police Harin Deka said.
The victim’s husband was also attacked and injured, but he managed to escape. Their daughter-in-law, who was at home, ran away to save herself, while their son, a daily wage-earner, was away at the time of the incident.