The scriptures of the 6 orthodox (`astika') schools of Brahmanism, including the sects of Vasihnavism and Vedism, prescribe the cruellest punishments imaginable for women guilty of even minor offences. Mere disobedience to the husband is immediately punished by amputation and maiming, whilst severe betrayal leads to certain death. Women guilty of lesbianism have their fingers chopped off, whilst adulterous wives are eaten alive by dogs.
http://www.dalitstan.org/books/gowh/gowh3.html
The English word thug, meaning a violent criminal, comes from the Hindi word thag (and originally from the Sanskrit word sthaga), meaning a thief or villain.
The original Thugs were bands of roving criminals in India who strangled and robbed travellers. Originally these gangs committed murder following precise religious rites to honour Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction.
The crime was known as Thuggee, and although it involved a Hindu goddess, there were Muslim Thugs as well.
In the 19th century Thugs were strangling 40,000 people a year but by then many cases of Thuggee were straightforward robbery with no religious significance.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions ... res/thugs/