Women in Mewat report mysterious chopping of braids

At least 15 incidents of women's braids being mysteriously chopped off have been reported from the villages of the Mewat region in last two weeks, police said today.

These bizzare happenings have left the villagers in panic. Most women report to have fallen unconscious when their braids were chopped off leading to the villagers blaming godmen, ghosts, witches and "cat-like" creatures.

Police, however, dismissed these claims and said it was the handiwork of anti-social elements.

Yesterday, one such incident was reported from Gurgaon.

Sunita Devi, a resident of Ashok Vihar phase-III area, approached the police, claiming that on the night of July 28 she was attacked by a strange-looking man, in his 60s, when she was alone in her house.

"While I was preparing dinner in the kitchen, I saw a thin man in a red and yellow outfit on the main entrance of my house. When I went to enquire, I saw he was carrying a trident. I told him to go away. He went away and disappeared only to reappear," she claimed.

Sunita said before she could comprehend anything she fell unconscious.

"When I regained consciousness, I found myself lying on the floor and my braid was chopped off," she claimed, adding her house, however, was not ransacked.

Police said they have made a Daily Diary entry of the incident and launched a probe into the matter.

Gurgaon Police PRO Ravinder Kumar said the perpetrator was yet to be identified and the woman has not complained of any external wounds.

The woman was in extreme trauma and still terrified.

She was admitted to a private hospital and discharged last evening, he said.

Another incident was reported in Malhaka village. Aseena had fallen unconscious and when she woke up she found her hair had been chopped off.

"I'm feeling scared," Aseena said.

A police complaint has been made in the matter.

To deal with the rising apprehension caused by these incidents, the village panchayats have asked women to tie their hair in buns instead of braids.

Living under a shadow of fear, women are venturing outside to get water and fodder only in large groups and patrol parties have also been formed to nab those responsible.

"We have assigned our male members or family heads to patrol on a daily basis in two shifts. They are to stay alert 24X7 in order to combat the gang, animal or ghost, whatever it may be, responsible," Ram Mehar Yadav, a resident of Punahana told

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)