Bihar man arrested for torturing wife with chilli powder, hot iron over alleged affair

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A 35-year-old man in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district has been arrested for allegedly torturing his wife for two days - beating her with a hot iron rod, inserting chilli powder into her private parts and attempting to electrocute her - over suspicions of an extramarital affair.

As per PTI, the victim, a resident of Deoria Kothi, was locked inside a room without food or water from June 13 to 15 while her husband, Shatrughan Rai, subjected her to relentless physical abuse, police said. According to her statement, her hands and legs were tied during the assault and neighbours ignored her screams for help.

Her brother rescued her on June 15 after visiting the house and rushed her to a local primary health centre. She was later referred to Shree Krishna Medical College and Hospital due to the severity of her injuries, which included burns from the iron rod.

Deoria Police Station SHO Ram Vinay Kumar confirmed that an FIR was lodged on June 16 against Rai and his family, including his mother, brother and sister-in-law, who are currently absconding. "The accused husband was arrested the same day and sent to jail. Raids are underway to nab the others," Kumar was quoted by PTI.

The victim alleged that her husband, who runs a cosmetic shop, had been abusing her for six months. The assault escalated on June 13 when he accused her of having an affair with a villager. “They also attempted to kill her by strangling her with the wire of the mobile phone charger," the SHO was quoted.