55-Year-Old Woman Hacked To Death With Feet Severed, Silver Anklets Missing

A 55-year-old woman, who was grazing cattle, has been brutally hacked to death by unidentified assailants. They also cut off her legs allegedly to steal her silver anklets.

The incident, reported in the Indian state of Rajasthan Tuesday, has triggered a widespread protest, prompting the government to assign a special team to lead the investigation, reported NDTV.

According to reports, the victim was Geeta Devi Sharma of Khatepura village, a rural area in the state. Her body was found lying in a pool of blood by villagers in a forest area, where she had gone to graze her cattle.

Police said the woman had deep wounds on her head and neck, caused by some sharp-edged weapon. Her severed legs were found lying near the body. The silver anklets worn by Devi were also missing.

. Women in rural Rajasthan traditionally wear heavy silver anklets that cannot be unfastened, the report added.

"There seems to be involvement of hardcore criminals in the case given the manner in which the victim, Geeta Devi Sharma, was murdered. The jewelry she was wearing was found missing. Prima facie, it appears to be a case of murder for gain," a senior police official told India Today.

Officers added that the accused might have been waiting in the desolate area for the victim. A case of murder has been registered and hundreds of police officials are deployed in the search of the accused.

A video of the incident showing the woman sprawled on the ground with her detached limbs lying nearby is also doing rounds online, reports said.

The victim's son has approached the government seeking strict action against the culprits. "My mother used to work over here in the field. We have no idea who attacked her. The police have not given us any information so far about the investigations," the victim's son told India Today.

In a similar incident, a woman was found brutally murdered in India last month inside a parked vehicle. Police said she was brutally raped and tortured with an iron rod. Though she was rushed to the hospital after being found lying in a pool of blood by the roadside, she couldn't be saved. An initial investigation revealed that the woman was sexually assaulted and tortured with an iron rod in her private parts.