Paradip, Aug 5: A 25-year-old woman, who is a mother of four children, chopped off the testicles of a 19-year old youth at a village in Jagatsinghpur district last evening for allegedly making an attempt to rape her at an isolated place.

The critically injured youth has been hospitalised and police have begun investigating into the incident.

The accused, Somya Ranjan Jena of Gopalpur village in Tirtol, had allegedly tried to rape the woman at a lonely place in the village while she was returning home from a village temple. Both the accused and the victim were from the same locality.

“The woman has alleged that the youth tried to overpower her and she reportedly raised an alarm. But, no one could heard her screams. However, she somehow managed to free herself from the grips of Jena and went back to the temple. There, she picked up a knife. When the youth came near her again, she grabbed the youth and allegedly cut his testicles,” said Padarabinda Tripathy, inspector of Tirtol police station.

A profusely bleeding Somya Ranjan was taken to the hospital by other villagers.

Later, the woman lodged a complaint with the police. The accused has also lodged a counter-complaint stating that the allegations are false and fabricated. He was attacked by the woman without any provocation. The police have recorded the statement of both the youth and the woman on Monday. However, no case has been registered as yet.

“We are checking the veracity of the claims of both the sides,” said the police officer. The accused is now undergoing treatment at a government hospital in Jagatsinghpur. “We are looking into whether the assault was an act of self-defence by the woman. The complainant’s version is that she tried to dissuade him from physically abusing her,” Tripathy said.

Activists have justified the act of violent retaliation of this nature by the victim woman.

“The act of self-defence of this nature will send a strong message to perpetrators of crimes against women,” said Abanti Beehra, a women’s rights activist.

Recently, a man had sexually abused and burnt alive a 15-year-old girl after being rejected by her at Kharinasi village in Kendrapara district. The youth, accompanied by an accomplice, had set her on fire after pouring petrol on her.