Aged Rajput woman commits Sati in MP

Chhatarpur (MP), Sep 21 (UNI) A 95-year-old Rajput woman committed 'Sati' on the pyre of her 100-year-old husband at Baniyani village in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh.

Polce arrested Karouyya Devi's four sons under section 302 IPC and section 4 of the Prevention of Sati Act, District Collector Ajatashatru Shrivastava said today.

Mr Siyaram Rajput died yesterday after prolonged illness.

Even as the funeral was in progress at the village in the evening, Ms Karouyya Devi sat on the pyre with a firm resolve to commit Sati.

Her youngest son Drigpal Singh (40) lit the pyre, the Collector said.

By the time police reached the village, about 125 km from here, the funeral was over, police said.

The District Collector ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident, the second such incident in the Bundelkhand region in about a month. A tribal woman, anakrani (45), committed Sati at Tulsipar village in Sagar district on August 21.

Besides Drigpal Singh, the woman's three other sons -Kripal Singh (47), Kuber Singh (50) and Baldu (53)- had been arrested.

They told the police their mother had earlier expressed her wish to commit 'Sati', but nobody took it seriously. However, nobody took objection when Karouyya Devi seated on her husband's pyre.

Police force had been deployed at the village to prevent glorification of Sati.

UNI XC-SP LS DS1235