Mumbai, August 13: A woman in Iran was paralysed after police shot her for violating hijab laws in the country. The incident allegedly occurred on July 22, when 31-year-old Arezoo Badri drove home with her sister in the northern Iranian city of Noor. According to reports, a police bullet pierced her lungs and caused significant damage to her spine. It remains uncertain whether the resulting paraplegia is permanent. The hijab law includes provisions for women who do not wear the hijab "properly" and outlines punishments, including jail time, for those found guilty.

A BBC report says that the woman was paralysed from the waist down, and doctors have stated that it will take months to determine if the paraplegia will be permanent. Arezoo failed to comply with the order to stop, leading the officers to open fire, a police official told. Ebrahim Raisi Dies: Iranian President, Foreign Minister Confirmed Dead In Helicopter Crash; PM Narendra Modi Expresses Condolence.

However, several reports say that it is unclear if Arezoo was wearing a headscarf when she was stopped by police, but her car did have a confiscation notice against it. According to a BBC source, the police officer initially fired at the car's tyre before directly aiming at her from the driver's side. "The bullet pierced her lung and caused severe damage to her spinal cord," the source reported. Iranian Woman Gets Into Heated Argument With Cleric for Clicking Her Picture Without Hijab After It Slipped Off While Carrying Baby, Video Goes Viral.

Colonel Ahmed Amini, the police chief in Noor, stated that the use of firearms was allowed under Iranian law. After being first treated at a hospital in Noor, Ms. Badri was moved to a hospital in Sari, the provincial capital, for lung surgery. A week later, she was transferred to Tehran, the capital of Iran. The bullet was removed after 10 days.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 13, 2024 03:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).