The rescued woman at the Barachana health centre on Friday. Telegraph picture

Jajpur, June 1: Police and the fire brigade personnel this morning rescued a woman who was allegedly thrown off the Birupa river bridge at Benapur by her neighbours with her hands and legs tied.

The victim, identified as Rebati Sahu, 53, of Garagali village in Barachana police limits in the district, was rushed to Barachana government hospital in a critical condition. She was moved to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack after her condition deteriorated, the police said.

The police said morning walkers saw the woman lying under the bridge of the Birupa river at Benapur, scantily clothed and writhing in pain, her hands and legs tied with rope. She was bleeding profusely from head, belly, back and hand injuries.

Prasanta Kumar Majhi, inspector-in-charge, Barachana police station, said: “Preliminary investigation indicates that the woman was severely assaulted by her neighbours and later thrown off the Birupa bridge by them with her hands and legs tied. Property dispute is the reason behind the incident. The assailants wanted to murder the woman because she was opposing their attempt to grab her property.”

Sahu said she was asleep on the verandah of her house last night when three men, whom she named as Bhubana Sahu, Sananda Sahu and Sankar Sethy, entered her house, stuffed a piece of cloth into her mouth and carried her to a vehicle. “They beat me up mercilessly inside the vehicle. They then tied up my hands and feet and threw me off a bridge. They wanted to kill me as I was opposing their attempt to grab my property,” she said.

“The woman came to our hospital with multiple injuries. She had been physically assaulted and in a serious condition. We gave her preliminary treatment and referred her to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack as our hospital lacks facilities,” said Ashok Kumar Mishra, the attending doctor of the community health centre at Barachana.

Less than a month ago, a 23-year-old pregnant woman was thrown off the Jobra anicut bridge over the Mahanadi river on May 8. Her assailants too had tied her hands and feet before throwing her off the bridge. A former additional district judge and his family members had been arrested along with two contract killers on charges of attempted murder.