Chilli Powder in Eyes, Genitals: Telangana Woman Brutally Tortured For Refusing Labour Work

Nagarkurnool: A 27-year-old tribal woman was brutally attacked by her relatives in Telangana's Nagarkurnool district. Two men and two women have been arrested in connection with the incident. It is alleged that she was assaulted, had chilli powder rubbed into her eyes and genitals, and suffered other serious injuries.

According to police officials, the victim Eshwaramma, and her husband were working as labourers at a farm owned by Bandi Venkatesh in Nagarkurnool district. She was not interested in doing labour work and kept running away from home leaving her husband and children. Concerned about the welfare of her children, her relatives – Lingaswamy, Laxmi, Bandi Venkatesh, and Bandi Shivamma, are alleged to have severely beaten her.

Video of the incident shows the victim lying on the ground while a woman beats her with her hands at first and later with a stick. One of the women carried chilli powder on a plate and assisted another in forcibly putting it in the eyes of the victim.

On June 9, the victim's sister and brother-in-law, on the orders of Venkatesh allegedly put a burning cloth on her private parts. The accused also made videos, said Investigation Officer P Hrushikesh.

District Superintendent of Police Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath said these videos are from at least two days before the woman was assaulted and tortured a second time. Initially, admitted to a state-run hospital in Nagarkurnool, the woman was later transferred to Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad for better treatment.

'She was in bad condition – emaciated, weak, and unable to walk. After receiving treatment at the local government hospital, she has been moved to Hyderabad, where she is being treated for internal injuries,' Deputy SP B Srinivas said.

The incident is said to have occurred on June 8; however, it only came to light recently when authorities received information on the night of June 19. Upon receiving the information, the victim was immediately shifted to the hospital on June 20. It is alleged that the relatives involved in the incident attempted to keep it hidden.

Prompt police action was taken following the revelation, leading to the arrest and remand of all accused individuals on June 20. The case is currently under investigation as authorities work to uncover further details surrounding this incident.