Patna, Nov 16 (IANS): A 35-year-old woman in a Bihar village Sunday deserted her alcoholic husband and refused to live with him at an open panchayat meeting, a village official said.

Phulia Devi, a resident of Firangi Biga village in Shekhpura district, said she was fed up with her alcoholic husband Muchu Bind.

She publicly announced at an open panchayat meeting Sunday in the village that she would leave him.

"Phulia has openly refused to live with her husband as he was allegedly abusing and torturing her for years due to his alcoholism. She informed the panchayat, which was called to know her view and to settle her complaint against him," village head Ajay Kumar said.

He said Phulia told the panchayat she was ready to face any punishment decided by it but she will not live with her husband because he was an alcoholic.

"Phulia said she tried her best to live with her husband but he continued to physically and mentally torture her and was never ready to get rid of his alcohol addiction," he said.

The woman later expressed her desire to marry her brother-in-law Hira Bind, whose wife died a few years ago. Hira also agreed to marry her soon.