No caste panchayat involvement in woman stripping case: NCW

Earlier reports had said that the woman was stripped and beaten on the orders of the caste panchayat at a village in Sarada area on July 22 for allegedly having an extra-marital affair.

"I met the woman today and asked her about the incident.. It was not the caste panchayat which ordered the action on her but the crime was committed by a group of 12 locals, including her husband," Sharma told reporters here.

"I was informed by the woman and others that the mob, which beat the woman and stripped her after shaving her head, were planning to chop off her nose. They wanted her to take a ride of the village on a donkey but could not do so as police arrived in the meantime," she said.

Sharma said the woman had eloped with her lover few days back and were living in Pali district. On Sunday, some villagers saw them standing at a bus stand following which they brought them to the village and tied them from separate trees. Later they stripped the woman and beat her, she said.

The NCW chief also held a meeting with the district SP and collector and sought details on the progress in the investigation of the case and directed them to provide security to the victim in view of the possible threat to her.

"Of the total 12 named accused, eight including her husband and a deputy-sarpanch, were arrested yesterday and police teams have been dispatched to various places in search of the remaining four," DSP Kailashdan said.