Rajasthan woman set ablaze over infertility; police attacked as villagers attempt cremation of half-burnt body

The victim was identified as Sarla Devi, 42, who had been married since 2005.

A woman was allegedly burnt alive on a pile of cow dung cakes by her in-laws in Rajasthan’s Deeg district on Tuesday afternoon, The Times of India reported.

The victim was identified as Sarla Devi, 42, who had been married since 2005.

Sarla’s brother Vikrant told the police that she was harassed by her in-laws for years for being childless. In his complaint, he named Sarla’s husband Ashok, father-in-law Sukhbir Singh, mother-in-law Rajwati, brothers-in-law Trilok and Raju, and sisters-in-law Pooja and Poonam as the accused.

The report quoted the police and stated that a tip-off around noon revealed that Sarla’s half-burnt body was being taken for cremation. When officers reached the spot, villagers blocked their way, attacked them, tore their uniforms and attempted to complete the cremation. The policemen managed to escape and informed senior officials.

Following the incident, Sarla’s in-laws and several villagers fled.

Additional forces led by senior officers later reached the cremation ground, recovered the body from the pyre and sent it to the Deeg district hospital mortuary for post-mortem.The body was handed over to Sarla’s family after a medical board conducted the autopsy.

“The primary probe suggests that the accused wanted to erase the evidence and therefore attacked the police party," Additional SP AK Sharma told TOI, adding that an investigation is underway.

Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Meena said cases have been registered for murder, destruction of evidence, and assault on government officials. Extra forces had been deployed in the area as police continued the probe.