The woman’s husband, whose double-barrel gun she used to kill herself, said, “The accused and some influential panchayat members belong to the same family. I knew she was angry. I want to punish everyone responsible for her suicide.”A woman, who shot herself after a village panchayat in Agra pronounced her alleged molester innocent, has left behind a note that says she was “tricked” into signing a “compromise letter”, which left her with “no respect in the eyes of my children”. The letter also said she was taking the extreme step because she cannot “live with the shame”.
Villagers said that on the intervening night of December 29-30, the woman’s husband was at work and their children sat huddled around a fire outside their home. “They heard a sound and rushed in. When we saw her, she was in a pool of blood,” said a neighbour.
The woman’s husband, whose double-barrel gun she used to kill herself, said, “The accused and some influential panchayat members belong to the same family. I knew she was angry. I want to punish everyone responsible for her suicide.”
The sarpanch said, “Such small incidents are mostly dealt with by the panchayat. It’s a matter of the village’s reputation. In this case, the victim’s family was initially okay with the compromise. Something changed their minds. We could not have foreseen the suicide. But we did everything with their consent.”
The sarpanch’s husband, who allegedly headed the panchayat, is on the run, said police. On Thursday, one Zakil (38) was arrested on charges of abetment. Main accused Manish had been arrested the previous day. “Role of the panchayat members is a matter of investigation. Our teams are looking for them,” said the local SHO.
