Woman hacked to death while collecting mahua flowers in forest

Chatra: Body of a 50-year-old woman, who was allegedly hacked to death with an axe while collecting mahua flowers in a forest near her village in Chatra district on Monday, was found early on Tuesday, police said.According to reports, Geeta Devi, a resident of Narayan Bandh Tola under Kishunpur locality, left her house around 3 pm on Monday to collect mahua flowers. When she failed to return till evening, her family members launched a search for her in nearby areas. After failing to locate her, they informed Sadar police station about her disappearance.Thereafter, police and villagers jointly launched a search operation in the forest. Around 1 am, her body was found under a mahua tree. Police said the assailants inflicted multiple deep strikes on her neck with the axe, nearly severing it from the torso, indicating extreme brutality. The attackers fled after committing the crime. A blood-stained axe was recovered from the spot.Sadar police station officer in-charge Awadhesh Kumar Singh said the body has been sent to Sadar Hospital for post-mortem examination. “Several evidences have been collected from the spot, and raids are underway to arrest the accused. The case is being investigated from all possible angles,” he said.The incident has created fear among villagers, especially as women frequently venture into forests during mahua collection season.