A 42-year-old woman named Sarla Devi was allegedly set ablaze by her in-laws in Rajasthan’s Deeg district over accusations of infertility. Sarla’s brother Vikrant reported that she had been harassed for years due to being childless. When police arrived to intervene after receiving a tip-off about the cremation of Sarla’s half-burnt body, villagers allegedly attacked the officers, tore their uniforms, and tried to complete the cremation.
The police escaped and informed senior officials, leading to a larger force recovering the body and registering cases for murder, destruction of evidence, and assault on government officials. Investigations are ongoing with the accused reportedly fleeing the village.
Brutal Harassment and Attempt to Destroy Evidence
Sarla Devi, married since 2005, allegedly suffered years of mistreatment by her husband Ashok, father-in-law Sukhbir Singh, mother-in-law Rajwati, brothers-in-law Trilok and Raju, and sisters-in-law Pooja and Poonam, all named in the complaint. The horrific murder involved burning her alive on a pile of cow dung cakes.
The accused allegedly tried to erase evidence by attempting to cremate her half-burnt body quickly but were stopped by police intervention, despite violent resistance from villagers. Additional SP AK Sharma confirmed that the attack on police was to obstruct justice.
Community Backlash and Law Enforcement Response
When police arrived, villagers blocked their path and attacked them, escalating tensions. Sarla’s in-laws and several villagers fled the area following the incident. Senior police officials, including Superintendent Om Prakash Meena, deployed extra forces to the scene and are actively investigating.
The body was sent for a post-mortem at the Deeg district hospital before being handed over to Sarla’s family. Authorities have lodged cases related to her murder, destruction of evidence, and assault on government personnel.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This brutal incident underscores the deep-rooted patriarchy and harmful social prejudices women continue to face, particularly around infertility. The violent attempt to erase evidence reveals a disturbing willingness to undermine justice through fear and intimidation.
The Logical Indian urges society to foster empathy, dialogue, and legal accountability to protect vulnerable individuals and challenge regressive norms.
