New Delhi: Two days following the complaint of a Dalit woman who claimed that she was beaten up, stripped, and urinated on her mouth by a moneylender and his henchmen in Bihar's Patna district over some dispute between the two sides for money, police on Monday said some of her claims "could not be established" during the investigation.
The woman was assaulted apparently for complaining to the police about the creditor's "unjustified" demand for more money even after full repayment of the debt, police had said.
In a statement, the police said, "During the course of investigation by the sub-divisional police officer (SDPO-Fatuha), the allegation that the accused had urinated on the victim's mouth could not be established. However, that she was beaten by the accused has been confirmed."
The key accused, Pramod Singh and his son Anshu Singh, are absconding and a manhunt has been launched against them, police said, adding five police teams have been formed and searches are being conducted.
"My husband had borrowed Rs 1,500 from Pramod Singh a few months ago and had returned the money with interest. However, he continued to seek more money. We rejected the demand," the injured woman, who is under treatment in a hospital, said in her statement.
A family member of the victim told reporters, "A police team visited the village on Saturday to inquire about the complaint, which apparently angered Pramod and his associates. They went to her residence at 10pm and forcibly took her to Pramod's house. There, she was allegedly disrobed and beaten."
"Pramod asked his son to urinate on my mouth. He did so. After that, I somehow managed to escape and returned home," the woman further stated in her statement.
Earlier in the day, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said strict action would be taken against those involved in the assault on the woman.