Out on bail, man attacks woman with sickle in Chhattisgarh

A 35-year-old woman was seriously injured when a man, arrested earlier for shooting an obscene video of her, allegedly attacked her with a sickle in Chhattisgarh's Korba district, the police said.

Indrapal Tonde (40), the accused, had recently obtained bail, a police official said on Saturday.

"Tonde attacked the woman on Friday near Budhwari Bajrang chowk when she was on her way to work," said Durgesh Sharma, Station House Officer (SHO), Kotwali police station.

The woman took up residence in Budhwari area here after separating from her husband and worked at a private firm, he said.

Tonde, who lived in the same area, was in love with her but she rejected his proposal, the official said.

A few months ago, the woman shifted to another house after Tonde allegedly began to pressurise her to accept his proposal, the SHO said.

He then moved into a house near the woman's rented accommodation, and started harassing her. In October he allegedly filmed her secretly when she was taking a bath and circulated the video on social media, the police officer said.

The woman lodged a complaint and he was arrested, but got bail some days ago.

"On Friday, he attacked her brutally with a sickle in an attempt to kill her. Some passers-by came to her rescue and thrashed him before handing him over to police," Sharma said.

An onlooker shot a video of the incident where a man is seen slashing at the woman with a sickle, and uploaded it on social media.

"The woman has been admitted to the district hospital. Her condition is stable," SHO Sharma said.

Tonde was arrested and hospitalized as he was injured in the thrashing he received. After he gets discharge he will be produced before a court, Sharma said.

The police have registered a case of attempt to murder under IPC section 307 against him.