A 35-year-old woman, Sumitra Behera, committed suicide out of shame and social stigma on Saturday after a person attempted to rape her on Friday night.
The incident occurred at Jerakanda village under lalitagiri grama panchayat under the Mahanga Police Station.
According to police sources, Sumitra was alone in her house as her husband, a potter, had gone to sell his pottery items in Olasuni Gumpha Yatra on Friday night.
Madhabananda Samal of adjacent Manitri village entered her house and attempted to rape her. Hearing her scream, her brother-in-law woke up and rushed to her room. The accused soon ran away from the spot.
But some neighbourers caught him and beat him mercilessly. He has been admitted in the SCB Medical College Hospital, Cuttack, said IIC SS Tripathy.
After filing an FIR in this regard in the police station, the returned home and committed suicide in her bedroom by hanging herself from the ceiling fan. The body has been sent to the SCB Medical College and Hospital for postmortem. A case has been registered and investigation is on, informed Tripathy.