Assam woman tonsured, partially stripped for opposing underage son’s marriage

According to police, the victim’s 19-year-old son from her second marriage was forcibly married off to a minor girl a few months ago by her second husband Mantu Sheikh despite her opposition.

Updated on: Oct 7, 2018, 20:29:28 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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A woman in Assam’s Dhubri district was beaten up and partially stripped by an angry mob which also tonsured her and poured hot water on her for opposing the marriage of her underage son to a minor girl.

In the video, few women are seen beating Bibi, pulling at her clothes and tonsuring her head in broad daylight on a road while several bystanders are recording the assault on their phones. (HT File Photo/Representative image)

Rashima Bibi, 39, was attacked on October 2 at Boterhat village, but police swung into action four days later on Saturday after a video of the incident was widely shared.

According to police, the victim’s 19-year-old son from her second marriage was forcibly married off to a minor girl a few months ago by her second husband Mantu Sheikh despite her opposition. The legal age of marriage for a man in India is 21 years.

“Sheikh and family members of the girl’s family were unhappy with Bibi as she had registered a case in this regard in August and the some of the accused were arrested,” said Dhubri superintendant of police Longnit Terong.

“Several members of the girl’s family including some women cornered Bibi on October 2 and tonsured her head. Some of her clothes were also removed and hot water poured on her,” he added.

In the video, few women are seen beating Bibi, pulling at her clothes and tonsuring her head in broad daylight on a road while several bystanders are recording the assault on their phones.

Based on a complaint by the victim’s third husband Moinul Haque, the police have arrested three women involved in the incident and are on the lookout for several others.

Police said both Rashima Bibi’s son and his wife have since been separated and are living with their parents. Bibi is admitted at a hospital at Cooch Behar in West Bengal for treatment.

Child marriages have witnessed a spurt in Assam in recent years. The government told the state assembly last month that there have been 317 incidents of child marriages in 2017-18 compared to from 96 in 2016-17 and 32 in 2015-16.

According to a report on child marriages and teenage pregnancy in India released recently by National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Assam with 16.7% of child marriages is among the 12 states in India with higher than the national average of 11.9%.

Nine districts in Assam are ranked among the top 100 districts in the country with high incidents of child marriages. Dhubri ranks 17 in the list.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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