Odisha couple tied to yoke, forced to plough field for 'taboo' marriage
In Rayagada, a couple was made to plough a field as punishment for marrying against local societal norms; punishment was filmed, video gone viral sparking outrage
In a shocking incident, a mob in Rayagada district in Odisha tied a young couple to a yoke, like oxen, and made them plough a field, as a form of punishment. Their crime: the couple had married against the societal norms prevailing in the village in Rayagada district.
What’s more, the highly disturbing form of harassment was filmed and the video is now being widely shared on social media. The video has triggered outrage.
The punishment
The young man and woman, who are from Kanjamajhira village, had fallen in love recently and got married. Some villagers were against the marriage since the man is the son of the woman's paternal aunt and this kind of a union is considered taboo according to local customs.
To punish the couple, a mob forcibly tied the couple to a wooden yoke and made them drag it across a field. Two men kept beating both the man and the woman with a stick as they did so.
The video shows a man slapping the husband even as he protests at this public humiliation. The villagers also took the couple to the village shrine and performed purification rituals to 'cleanse' their so-called sin.
Also read: Odisha: 2 arrested for gang-rape of tribal woman in Jajpur
Police investigation
Later, the police told the media that a team visited the village to investigate the matter and a case will be registered soon.
In January this year, Rayagada district shot into the limelight when 40 family members were compelled to shave their heads as part of a 'purification' ritual. This was done because a woman married a man from another caste.