*NEW DELHI – An Indian mother and her daughter had their heads shaved andwere paraded through their village after resisting an attempted rape by menincluding a local official, police said Friday.*
The world’s largest democracy has an abysmal record on sexual crime againstwomen, particularly in rural areas where the majority of the 1.3-billionpopulation lives.
Ward councillor Mohommad Khurshid forcibly entered the women’s home in theeastern state of Bihar on Wednesday with other men and allegedly attemptedto rape the newly married 19-year-old daughter, police told AFP.
When she and her mother — whose husband tries to make ends meet by begging— resisted, they were both physically assaulted and Khurshid brought in thelocal barber to shave their heads, the elder woman told police.
“Until now only six accused in the case have been arrested. Police havebeen conducting raids to arrest others as they are absconding after theincident,” local policeman Sanjay Kumar said.
The councillor and the barber were among those being held, with the caseattracting national media coverage and opposition lawmakers hitting out atthe state government. -APP/AFP