NEW DELHI (AFP) - An Indian woman who bit off a chunk of her husband's penis when he caught her with another man has been charged with attempted murder, police said Friday (Aug 3).

The 45-year-old Jayanthi, who uses only one name, had gone out with her farmer husband to watch a play in Tamil Nadu's Vellore district Monday, but snuck away to meet her lover, police official Prakash Babu told AFP.

When she had not returned after more than an hour, the husband went to look for her.

"He found her in close contact with her lover. A scuffle followed during which the dhoti tunic that the man was wearing fell off. She bit off a part of his penis before running away with her lover," Babu said.

Villagers rushed the bleeding husband along with the severed part of the penis to hospital and informed police. The woman was arrested on Wednesday.

The victim is now recuperating in hospital, the police said.

The Times of India daily said Jayanthi had confessed to the attack and been sent to Vellore Central Prison for women.