Tribal woman commits 'Sati'

Bhopal, Aug 22 (UNI) In a suspected case of 'Sati', a tribal woman jumped into the funeral pyre of her husband and died instantly in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh.

Police, however, said it was not a case of 'Sati' but self-immolation.

Family members told the police that Janakrani (45) had sneaked out of the house on the pretext of attending the call of nature and jumped into her husband's funeral pyre on the village outskirts yesterday. The incident took place at Tulsipur village in Deori tehsil, about 80 km from Sagar town.

Police said Premnarayan Gond (50), who had been bed-ridden for five years due to paralysis, died yesterday. By the time the village elders left the crematorium after Premnarayan's funeral to bathe in a nearby river, Janakrani jumped into the pyre.

When she did not return home, a frantic search was conducted and her youngest son noticed her burning body at her husband's pyre.

Police reached the village at night and collected a few charred bones.

Superintendent of Police Mohammad Shahid Absar told UNI that ''it was not a case of 'Sati', but self-immolation as it was not induced by social pressure or for glorifying the 'Sati' practice.'' ''It is also not a case of suicide because nobody created circumstances compelling her to take the extreme step,'' Mr Absar said, adding forensic experts had reached the spot.

Meanwhile, a police cordon was laid around the funeral site to prevent any attempt at glorification of Sati.

Women and Child Development Minister Kusum Mehdele said a magisterial inquiry was ordered into the incident.

Four years ago, a 'Sati' incident was reported at Patna-Tamoli village in nearby Panna district, forcing the then government headed by Mr Digvijay Singh to impose community penalty for not preventing it.

The incident in Sagar district comes on the eve of the 19th anniversary of the infamous Sati incident in Rajasthan's Deorala village in Sikar district when a teenaged Rajput girl, Roop Kanwar, committed 'Sati' on the funeral pyre of her husband on September 4, 1987.

UNI PS-SP PR BS1245