By TCN Staff Reporter,
Purnea (Bihar): Purnea SP Amit Lodha denies that Bibi Shezadi was battered to death by village Panchayat.
Hindustan Times had reported today that Shehzadi, 32 of Asiyani village was beaten to death after she was pronounced “guilty” by village Panchayat for having an illicit relation with a distant relative.
Speaking to TCN Purnea SP said, “I am not declaring village Panchayat innocent, but certainly she was not battered to death as no external injury was found on her body.”
He said that the matter is still under investigations.
Shezadi who runs a local self help group Suhana died on November 29 allegedly by consuming poison.
TCN sources in Purnea confirm that indeed a Panchayat was called on November 29 for alleged illicit relations, where she was described as woman of “bad character,” bringing “shame” to family and village. It was then pronounced that she would face social boycott.
According to a source, she than hurled abuses on the village Sarpanch Zaki Ahmed, who is also her distant relative. Ahmed in return slapped her ‘few times,’ according to this source, after which the panchayat was dissolved.
Sources say that embarrassed Shezadi, who was also under undue pressure from family members for bringing “shame to family,” consumed poison.
Police, however, has not absolved the Panchayat completely and they are probing the death angle too.