Abused, manhandled by upper-caste men, Dalit woman kills self

A Dalit woman committed suicide by setting herself afire after she was allegedly abused and manhandled by three upper-caste men over a property dispute in Madhya Pradesh's Satna district, police said on Tuesday.

The incident happened on Monday in Ginjara village near here and the accused have been booked, an official said.

The victim, Radha Ahirwar (45), was locked in a property dispute with the trio, all siblings, he said.

"Radha Ahirwar and accused siblings Ananth Brahmin, Manoj Brahmin and Sulakshan Brahmin had a dispute over a plot of land under Nagod police station limits.

"A patwari (revenue official) had visited the village on Monday to sort out the dispute," said Superintendent of Police Riyaz Iqbal.

An altercation took place during the meeting where the accused allegedly abused and manhandled the Dalit woman, the SP said, citing the complaint by patwari Deepika Bagri.

"Ahirwar rushed home, where she doused herself with kerosene and set herself ablaze. She was immediately taken to a hospital where she died late Monday night," the SP said.

He said the brothers were booked on abetment of suicide charge on Tuesday after statements of Ahirwar's children were recorded.

"We have also invoked provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Efforts were on to nab the trio," Iqbal added.