MUZAFFARABAD: Police in a southern district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir are hunting for a person who chopped off his wife's nose and hair, allegedly in the name of honour.

The accused, Gulfraz alias Billa, cut off the nose of his 24-year old wife, and chopped off her hair before fleeing from the scene, a police official told Dawn.

The incident occurred on March 8, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, in Androt Potha village, some 35 kilometres from Rawalakot.

The victim told the police that her spouse would not let her visit her parents, which would trigger fights between them.

However, SHO Thorar Sardar Tariq told Dawn that the accused suspected the character of his spouse.

“It was why they would often quarrel with each other, even though the couple had contracted a love marriage some five years ago,” he said.

The victim was in her parents’ home for the past four to five months due to acrimony and was brought back by her spouse on Tuesday after reconciliation.

However, after he brought her home he tied her with a chair and cut off her hair and then nose.

As the victim fainted, the accused fled from the scene, fearing she may have died.

Later, her brothers shifted her to Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahayan Hospital Rawalakot for treatment.

Doctors said had she been brought to the hospital earlier, they could have stitched back the severed portion of the woman's nose.

Now she will have to undergo a three-stage treatment process, she was told.

SHO Tariq said the accused was at large but the police would soon hunt him down.

He said the accused had been booked under sections 337Q, 337V and 292 of the Azad (Kashmir) Penal Code,” he said.

“Actually, this crime is dealt with under the law of retaliation, meaning thereby if someone has cut the nose and hair of someone, he too will be penalised with the same treatment,” he said.

The police official said it was the first time that such an incident had occurred in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).