Lucknow, Jul 17 (IANS): At a time when people across the country are seeking tougher laws and stringent punishment for rape and sexual assaults, a youth got away with a punishment of being hit five times by shoes.

The bizarre incident took place in Madha Habibpur village of Aligarh Tuesday when the panchayat after coming to know of an attempted rape by a village boy read out the punishment.

The matter was later referred to the police by the distraught father of the victim on whom the rape attempt was made and the police lodged a first information report (FIR) against the assailant.

Police said the assailant sexually assaulted the young girl after barging into her house late Monday.

When the matter came to the notice of the village Panchayat, they held a meeting and decided "not to take the matter further" for fear of bringing bad name to the village.

They asked the family of the girl to hit the assailant five times with shoes and let him go. While the family surrendered to the wishes of the village panchayat then, they later lodged a complaint with the police.

"A case has been registered against the accused and we are trying to arrest him," a police officials said while informing that law will take its own course in the matter and the panchayat decision was illegal.