NEW DELHI, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- A 45-year-old woman in India allegedly committed the outlawed practice of Sati by throwing herself on the funeral pyre of her husband.
NDTV reported the alleged incident occurred Monday in a remote village in the state of Madhya Pradesh. It said the charred body of the woman was found on her husband's pyre after she had been reported missing.
Sati, an age-old Hindu custom in which widows feel they must follow their departed husbands, was banned by social reformers 200 years ago.
The report said the woman allegedly jumped into the pyre of her husband after everyone had left the funeral site.
After the discovery of her body, villagers immediately informed authorities and an investigation was ordered.
India's powerful National Commission for Women has demanded the state government provide a report on the incident within a week.
