Barbaric Fidelity Test: Gujarat Woman Burns Hands in Boiling Oil on Family’s Orders
Mehsana, Gujarat – In a shocking display of superstition and coercion, a 30-year-old woman from Gerita village in Vijapur taluka endured excruciating burns after being compelled by relatives to plunge her hands into scalding oil as a twisted proof of her marital loyalty, authorities reported Friday.
The harrowing episode unfolded on September 16, but gained widespread attention three days later when a disturbing video surfaced on social media platforms, capturing the ordeal in stark detail.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Dineshsinh Chauhan, the victim lodged a formal complaint that prompted Vijapur police to file a First Information Report against four individuals: her sister-in-law Jamuna Thakor, Jamuna’s husband Manubhai Thakor, and two unidentified men.
The footage, which quickly went viral, depicts the accused surrounding the distressed woman beside a vessel of bubbling oil. Under duress, she briefly submerges her fingers, only to recoil in agony as the heat sears her skin, leaving her with serious injuries that required immediate hospitalization.
Chauhan detailed the motive as rooted in baseless suspicion. “The victim’s sister-in-law harbored doubts about her faithfulness to her husband,” he explained. “Believing in an archaic ritual, Jamuna, her husband, and the two other men insisted the woman submit to this trial, claiming her hands would remain unscathed if she were truly devoted.”
The woman is currently receiving medical care at a local hospital in Vijapur, where doctors are treating her blistered and damaged hands. Meanwhile, law enforcement has launched a manhunt for the fugitives, who fled the scene shortly after the incident.
This case underscores the persistence of harmful traditional practices in isolated communities, even as modern laws seek to eradicate them. Police have vowed to pursue justice swiftly, emphasizing that such acts of violence disguised as cultural tests will not be tolerated.