Himachal Woman Dies Days After Assault By 14-Year-Old, Protests Erupt in Hamirpur

A 40-year-old woman succumbed to horrific injuries at PGI Chandigarh on Friday night, five days after a 14-year-old neighbour in Sasan village allegedly attempted to rape her and then bludgeoned her with a sickle and stick in a frenzied attack when she fought back. The brutality sparked unprecedented outrage on Sunday as hundreds of villagers and grieving relatives blocked the Hamirpur-Dharamshala national highway near Jhaniyari for nearly three hours, placing the woman’s body on the road and refusing to allow last rites until justice was assured. Traffic ground to a halt in both directions as protesters demanded the Class-9 student be produced publicly.

The assault took place on November 3 while the woman was alone cutting grass in a field near her home. Police said the boy forcibly grabbed her, attempted sexual assault, and then rained savage blows that left her with life-threatening head and body wounds. Villagers discovered her bleeding profusely and immediately alerted authorities, who rushed her to Hamirpur Medical College before an emergency transfer to PGI Chandigarh. Despite intensive treatment, she could not be saved.

Investigators recovered a broken pen, scale, sickle, and stick from the scene—evidence that matched the accused’s detailed confession secured within hours of the crime. The juvenile, now lodged in a correctional home, has been charged under the POCSO Act, murder, and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Senior officers remained camped at the protest site for hours, struggling to pacify the crowd until Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu personally telephoned the family and pledged exemplary punishment within the juvenile justice framework.

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The blockade was lifted only after the CM’s direct intervention, allowing the devastated family to perform final rites. Authorities have placed the case under special monitoring from Shimla, vowing swift prosecution and enhanced rural safety measures. The incident has sent shockwaves through the tranquil hills of Himachal Pradesh, reigniting urgent calls for stricter monitoring of juvenile offenders and stronger protection for women in remote villages.

As the state grapples with one of its most disturbing crimes this year, the tragedy serves as a grim reminder that no region remains immune to escalating violence against women. With the accused in custody and public anger still simmering, the government faces mounting pressure to deliver visible, uncompromising justice while preventing further unrest in the affected community.

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