A woman in Bihar jumped on to her husband’s lighted funeral pyre and immolated herself apparently unable to bear separation in a reminder of the century-old sati system which was once widely prevalent in India.
The incident took place at Parminia village under Kahra block in eastern Bihar’s Saharsa district on Saturday night.
The report said Ramcharitra Mandal, 75, who was suffering from cancer died on Saturday morning after which his body was consigned to flames late in the evening by his family members and local villagers near his house. Reports said the grieving family members returned home from the cremation site after the body was consigned to flames. In the meantime, the man’s 70-year-old widow Gahwa Devi fled her home and jumped on to her husband’s funeral pyre, the local media quoted the witnesses as having said.
Witnesses said after finding the woman missing from home, local villagers and family members began anxiously searching for her and ultimately found her lying unconscious on her husband’s funeral pyre, having been grievously burnt. Eventually, the family members put more wood on the pyre and cremated her.