Patna, Sept. 5: Nagina Devi, 35, had not imagined that her defiance to follow the diktat of some influential persons in her native village in Nalanda district would cost her so dear. She is now battling for life at a Biharsharif hospital.

Naresh Singh and his associates had summoned Nagina, a member of the barber community, to their houses at Pokharpur village under Giriyak police station to offer her services to the women on the eve of Teej. Unaware of the consequences, Nagina bluntly refused.

Infuriated over her denial, Anil Singh, along with his goons, visited her house on Sunday and held her captive. She was later taken to a house, where the alleged tormentors poured boiling water on her body and damaged her private parts with hot iron rods.

The accused abandoned her on the spot and threatened her with dire consequences if she reported the matter to the police.

The victim somehow managed to reach her house after which she was admitted to sadar hospital at Biharsharif.

The victim’s husband, Sanjay Thakur, who works in a salon outside, was not present in the house at the time of the incident. The villagers told the police that Naresh was an influential person and nobody dared to challenge his authority.

Nalanda superintendent of police (SP) Jitendra Singh Rana said an FIR has been lodged against four persons, including two women, for harassing Nagina.

“Orders have been passed to arrest the culprits at the earliest,” he said.

The SP said nobody would be spared whosoever he or she may be. “We can’t allow anybody to take law in their hands. Moreover, nobody can force any person to work against his/her will,” he said, adding that the station house officer of Girayak police station has been directed to take prompt action against the accused.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar has already announced to set up exclusive women police stations in the state to look into the complaints of women. At present, there is no full-fledged women’s police station in the state. “The process for setting women’s police stations has started,” said a senior police officer posted at the state police headquarters.

A women’s cell has been set up in Patna to look into the complaints of atrocities against women.

The cell headed by a deputy superintendent of police-rank officer has been provided vehicles and additional police personnel to take action against the offenders.