The victim, Prabhavati Sidar, was alone at her house at the time of the incident. She was bathing in the vegetable garden of her home when her daughter discovered her seriously injured and raised an alarm
The police said the woman sarpanch had injuries on her neck and face. Representational pic
A newly elected woman sarpanch was allegedly murdered by unidentified assailants in her home in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district on Tuesday, police said.
According to PTI, the incident occurred around noon while 37-year-old Prabhavati Sidar was in the vegetable garden behind her house in Dongadarha village, under the Tumla Police Station area.
Sidar had been elected as the sarpanch of Dongadarha village panchayat in the February panchayat elections.
As per the preliminary information, she was alone at her house at the time of the incident.
Sidar was reportedly bathing in the vegetable garden of her home when her daughter discovered her seriously injured and raised an alarm.
After some villagers gathered at the spot, Sidar was rushed to the Primary Health Centre in Kotba, where doctors declared her dead.
Upon being alerted, the police arrived at the scene, later involving forensic experts, a dog squad, and a cyber cell team in the investigation.
"Injury marks made by a sharp-edged weapon were found on her face and neck. However, the exact cause of her death will be known after the arrival of the post-mortem report," an officer stated, according to PTI.
A case has been registered in this connection and further probe is underway, he said.
Chhattisgarh: 41-year-old arrested in cheating case dies in police custody
A 41-year-old man died in police custody within hours of his arrest in a cheating case in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district. His family has accused the police of assaulting him.
The station house officer (SHO) of Arjuni Police Station, where Durgesh Katholia was kept in police remand, has been suspended, the police said.
The main opposition, Congress, has demanded a judicial probe into the incident.
On Monday, the police had arrested Katholia, a resident of Bhawarmara village in the neighbouring Rajnandgaon district, from his native district and brought him to Dhamtari, an official said.
On Monday evening, he was produced in a local court, which sent him to police custody. He was brought to Arjuni Police Station after that, the official informed, adding that Katholia's condition deteriorated, after which he was rushed to the district hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
"The exact cause of the death is yet to be ascertained as the post-mortem report is awaited. However, prima facie, it seems he died of a heart attack," he said, adding, "A case has been registered and an inquiry has been ordered into the incident. Sunny Dubey, the SHO of Arjuni police station, has been suspended."
According to the police, around 50 farmers of Dhamtari district had complained about Katholia, alleging that he had procured paddy from them, promising to provide higher returns than the rate fixed by the government, but had not paid them after collecting the produce, and had escaped.
The farmers alleged that Katholia had duped them of more than Rs 7 crore, the official said.
(With PTI inputs)
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