Man attacks woman with knife then sets her on fire in Bihar

The victim’s mother slumped over her daughter’s body

He hit her neck violently and then stabbed her until she died. Not finished, he threw gasoline on the woman and set her on fire, police said. She was 29.

The disturbing incident, which took place in the early hours of Tuesday, was reported from Katihar in eastern Bihar.

Since it was a Tuesday and her fasting day, teacher Yashoda Devi, after performing her puja, headed to the school, Pakadia Prathmik Vidyalaya, her family said.

“The victim was on her way to her school at around 5:30am. She was repeatedly attacked with a knife. After killing her, the man threw petrol on her and set her on fire,” said Abhijit Kumar Singh, deputy superintendent of Sadar Police (DSP), Katihar.

“The attacker and the victim had a relationship in the past. After their marriage, the relationship between the two was brought up before a local panchayat,” the police officer added.

Hulchul Kumar, the accused, is absconding, police added. He had previously attacked the victim’s husband, Parmesh Rai, in February.

“She was my wife. The same man attacked me in February (points to the mark on his face). Today is Tuesday, her fasting day. After her morning prayer, she headed to school. He hid around the corner “He slit her neck, attacked her again and threw things at her until she died,” said Parmesh Rai, her husband, as tears streamed down his face.

A picture from the scene showed the badly burned woman lying face down on the ground, the yellow of her sari fading to black (from charred flesh) and red (from blood), while her husband sat a few meters away and watched.

In another image, the victim’s mother, slumped over her daughter’s body, pulls up the shroud to cover her face. Crowds of women and villagers crowd around them. A collective scream sounds.