Hyderabad: A 26-year-old tribal woman from Telangana's Nagarkurnool district was tortured in public for a week - she was beaten and chilli powder was rubbed into her eyes and genitals, which were reportedly also burnt - after a mob that confronted the mother of three over missing money turned violent.
Disturbing videos of the incident showed the woman - in a pink saree - squatting on the ground surrounded by screaming villagers; in one video she sits motionless even as those around her - particularly a second woman in an orange saree carrying a large stick - shout and screech at her.
The video then takes a horrific turn after one of the men suddenly turned violent; he grabbed the woman - sitting silently all the while - by the neck, forced her to the ground and stomped on her.
He is pushed away by others and the young woman gets up and tries to escape, only to be shoved back to the ground by a second man, who also seemed to try and tear off her saree.
Tempers then run amok as some people are hit with a wooden stick.
In another shocking video a second woman is pushed into the fray. She grabs the woman in the pink saree by her hair, wrestles her to the ground and viciously kicks and slaps her repeatedly.
After several minutes of this she is pulled off her victim.
Even more shocking, District Superintendent of Police, Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath, told NDTV these videos are from at least two days before the woman was assaulted and tortured for a second time.
The woman, who was initially admitted to at a state-run hospital in the district, was later shifted to the Nizam' Institute of Medical Sciences in state capital Hyderabad for better treatment.
Four people - identified as Bandi Venkatesh and his wife, as well as the victim's sister and husband, have been arrested in connection with the assault. The police have recognised the victim as a bonded labourer and issued certificate releasing her from the bondage.
READ | 4 Arrested For Torturing Tribal Woman, 27, In Telangana: Cops
According to reports, the dispute was over money the woman borrowed from Bandi Venkatesh.
In return, she was to work on his brick kiln. But the woman walked out after a few days after an argument with her sister, who was also working on the same brick kiln. As per some reports, the land on which the kiln was located belonged to the victim and she was paid some money by the accused in return for the land, and her walkout was seen as a breach of contract.
An enraged Venkatesh hunted her down and dragged her back to his brick kiln.
On Monday Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka met the young woman, who was admitted to a government hospital, and said the Congress government would cover all bills.
Mr Vikramarka also said the state government will provide the woman with a home - if she does not own one - education for her children, and land for her to farm. On Saturday Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao spoke to the woman and said she would be given Rs 2 lakh as financial assistance.
With input from agencies
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