Hair cut by ‘bijju’ and cat, victims tell police

LUCKNOW :The police have begun probe into the ‘braid cutting’ incidents reported in various districts. During investigation, some victims told cops that they cut their hair on the advice of sorcerer while others claimed their braid was chopped by large Indian civet – ‘bijju’. A few also said a cat cut their hair.

Hari Ram Sharma, IG (law and order), said cases of braid chopping had been reported in nearly a dozen districts.

On the plea of the victims, the police registered FIRs in Gorakhpur, Agra, Bareilly, Moradabad and Mathura. The police were probing into these incidents, he said.

On August 1, an FIR was registered against a sorcerer, Chandrabhan Das at Campeerganj police station in Gorakhpur district after a girl said she cut her braid on the advice of Das. In Munda Pandey village of Moradabad, a woman complained that a ‘Bijju’ cut her hair while she was asleep in her house. An FIR was registered under the Wildlife Act.

On Wednesday, an FIR was registered by the Gomti Nagar police station after a woman of Vinay Khand complained that a cat cut her braid. The police recovered scissors from the spot.

Earlier, an FIR was registered in Agra after villagers lynched a 62-year- old woman, accusing her of being a ‘witch’ who cut the hair of a girl. The police took the accused into custody, said Sharma.

An FIR was also registered in Bareilly after a 12-year-old girl complained that her braid was cut mysteriously, he added.

DGP Sulkhan Singh urged people not pay heed to rumours.

The state police urged people to register complaint with the police regarding hair cutting incidents and said no gang was involved in hair cutting incidents.

Social organisations and officers had been advised to educate people in this regard through social media and legal action would be taken against elements who try to spread rumors and create panic among the people.