By IANS
Ranchi : A village Panchayat in Jharkhand is protecting a molester from the police after imposing a fine of Rs.25,000 on him.
Local reports said that the molester Islam Mia, 56, is wanted by the police, but the panchayat of Besgi village of Giridih district, about 290 km from here, is protecting him.
The panchayat convened on Wednesday night and fined Mia Rs.25,000.
Four women of Chandannagar village had gone inside a jungle to collect wood, but one of them had stayed back to sharpen her axe from Mia, who is a knife sharpener. Finding her alone Mia allegedly molested her and fled the scene when she raised an alarm, local newspapers reported.
The woman lodged a complaint but when a police team went to the village to arrest Mia, the panchayat members protested, saying they had already fined him. Now Mia has gone underground to avoid arrest.