On seeing the cops, the people surrounding the pyre ran away. (Representational)
A woman from a Bihar village was rescued as her husband and in-laws were trying to set her ablaze for "not being able to bear a child," the police have said. The woman's husband has been arrested.
The woman, who lives in Bhojpur district, claimed she was often beaten up by her in-laws because she was unable to conceive. She got married 13 years ago.
On Monday, she said, she was not beaten up, but fell unconscious due to weakness. She said she could not remember how she reached the pyre.
Police officer Avdhesh Singh said they got a tip-off from the locals that her husband and his family were planning to burn the woman alive. "Sub-inspector Kaisar Ali and I reached the spot. Had the police been ten minutes late, they might have set her ablaze," Mr Singh said.
On seeing the cops, the people surrounding the pyre ran away, the officer said.
The woman was taken to the hospital later for a medical check-up and was found to be uninjured.
"Apart from the husband, her in-laws are also under scanner and an investigation is on," he added.
A 28-year-old woman was recently rescued in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur in a similar case. She had suffered 60 per cent burns. Two people were arrested and cases of sexual harassment and murder were filed against them.
The woman had tried to file a complaint with police earlier, but her complaint was allegedly ignored.