Balangir: Police on Thursday arrested five persons, including four women, for chopping off a woman's hair and trying to strip her.

The accused have been identified as Tapaswini Gadatya, Jayanti Barik, Hemalata Barik, Sasmita Pradhan and her husband Sudam Pradhan.

All the accused were produced before the court of judicial magistrate first class at Loisingha and later remanded in judicial custody after their bail plea was rejected.

Sources said the five - all residents of Karkachia village, had accused the victim woman of infidelity.

They conducted a kangaroo court at the village where she was indicted and let off with a warning.

However, later on June 3, some villagers accosted her on a village road and chopped off a portion of her hair.

They also tried to strip her naked in full public view before warning them not to go to the police.

The woman and her family left Karkachia and stayed at the nearby Nunanpali village for some days to avoid further attacks and insults. They finally lodged a police complaint after eight days.

The husband and in-laws of the victim support her. Her husband had accompanied her to the police station when she went to lodge the complaint.

A senior police officer of Loisingha police station, Jayanta Mohanty, said on the basis of the complaint and investigation, the police had arrested five persons, including four women.

"We have arrested five persons in connection with the case. They were produced before the court and later sent to jail custody after their bail was rejected," Mohanty said.

Kidnap cuffs

Bhograi police arrested a 24-year-old man on charge of kidnapping a 20-year-old girl following her rescue. The accused, Sk Munna of Rasalpur village, has been produced in court. He had kidnapped the girl, her parents alleged.