By Meer Faisal
In Bihar’s Madhubani district, a Muslim woman died days after she was allegedly assaulted by a group of villagers, with her family accusing the police of shielding the accused and delaying medical treatment despite the severity of her injuries.
Roshan Khatoon, a resident of Amhi village in Ghoghardiha block, was attacked on February 25 when she went to the residence of the village head, Kumari Devi, in connection with a local dispute. According to her family, what began as an attempt to resolve the issue quickly escalated into violence, with a group led by the mukhiya’s son allegedly assaulting her. Khatoon sustained serious injuries in the incident and was later admitted to Patna Medical College and Hospital, where she died on March 1.
Family members alleged that Khatoon was beaten continuously over an extended period, during which she was forced to the ground, kicked, punched, and assaulted with sticks. They claimed she was later dragged and tied at the entrance of the house, where the assault continued in public view. Her husband, Mohammad Shahabuddin, told The Observer Post that she repeatedly pleaded for mercy but received no help from those present. Some local residents, they said, witnessed the incident but did not intervene.
“She was first beaten, then tied to the door, beaten again. They pounced on her and hurt her badly. She lost consciousness and was talking gibberish when I tried to speak to her,” Shahabuddin said.
The family has also alleged that Khatoon was subjected to religious humiliation during the assault. According to them, she had been observing a fast and asked for water as her condition worsened. A relative claimed that instead of being given water, it was thrown away, and she was allegedly forced to consume alcohol mixed with urine. The family believes the act was intended to target her religious identity.
He said she was targeted “only because she is Muslim” and confirmed the allegations of inhumane treatment. “They beat her like an animal, and when she felt thirsty and asked for water, they gave her urine mixed with alcohol. She was fasting, and they did this intentionally to hurt our religious sentiments. It has been like this for several years; we are being targeted because we are Muslims,” he said.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.