Jamshedpur, July 30: Although India has had a woman Prime Minister and now has a woman President, little has changed for rural women.

For them, life is still full of miseries. Middle-aged Saraswati Devi realised it in small hours today.

The middle-aged woman sustained grievous injuries after her neighbours assaulted her branding her a witch. The gory incident took place in a village under Chandil police station in Seraikela-Kharsawan district.

But Saraswati’s ordeal was not over just with scars. She had to flee from the hospital she was admitted to fearing more manhandling.

The victim, who sustained injuries in the face, head and hands, was rushed to MGM Medical College & Hospital for treatment. But hors on, she fled hospital’s emergency ward. For she and her relatives apprehended another round of assault.

A relative of the victim told The Telegraph Saraswati’s neighbour’s sister used to fall ill frequently.

But instead of taking her to a doctor for treatment, the neighbour, Badal Murmu, took the patient to a person known for having the power of black magic.

“For the past few days Badal’s sister, Seema, was suffering from some disease. But Badal and a few other neighbours of Saraswati suspected that she was responsible for her illness. Early this morning, the attackers led by Badal swooped down on the house of Saraswati and inflicted injuries upon her using a stick,” said the relative of the victim.

The relative said the intention of Badal and his accomplices was to kill Saraswati, but she somehow managed to escape.

He added that that the victim was brought to the medical college hospital for treatment she did not feel safe there and fled.

A source in the hospital said the victim was restless throughout her brief stay in the emergency ward of the hospital.

She was probably suffering from uncanny fear, he added.

Sub-inspector of Chandil police station Dhananjay Kumar Singh said police were yet to get any complaint of witch hunting as yet.

“I will definitely take action against the accused. But as of now, we have not received any complaint in this connection,” said Singh, who is also the officer-in-charge of the police station.