Monday, May 16 2005 18:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Indore: The prime accused in the attack on Madhya Pradesh woman and child development supervisor Shakuntala Verma, was today (May 16, 2005) remanded to police custody till May 19 by a local court in Dhar district.

The accused identified as Suresh Balai was arrested yesterday (May 15, 2005) from Rajgarh town in the district where he had allegedly attacked Verma for her attempts to prevent child marriage in Bhangarh village.

Balai was remanded to police custody till May 19 by the Judicial Magistrate, O P Rawat in Sardarpur tehsil, official sources said.

The accused was has not yet admitted that he attacked Verma for her role in preventing the child marriage, a senior police officer said.

Verma was attacked at her residence in Rajgarh in Dhar district on May 10 and one of her arms was nearly chopped off with a sword.

The victim had identified Balai yesterday through a photograph shown to her by police at her hospital bed in Indore, where she is undergoing treatment, the sources said.