Gujarat cops probing mysterious hair-chopping cases: Minister

The Gujarat home department has taken cognisance of media reports about incidents of braid cutting in nearly half a dozen districts and asked police to remain alert, a minister said today.
Pradeepsinh Jadeja, minister of state for home, said reports about women claiming that their hair had been mysteriously chopped off at night have been received from Surat, Amreli, Mehsana and Rajkot, among other districts, in the last few days.
"The home ministry has taken cognisance of media reports," he said.
Jadeja was talking to reporters after attending a function where the foundation stone for a police station was laid here.

The home department has asked police authorities to remain alert and find out who is behind such alleged incidents, he said.
"The women wing of the state Crime Branch has already started investigations into such cases," said Jadeja, making an appeal to women not to panic.
Incidents of women's braids being mysteriously chopped off have been reported from states like Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, among others.
Police in these states believe such incidents are the handiwork of anti-social elements.