Couple tied, stripped for falling in love

A couple were tied to a tree, stripped, tonsured and beaten up for hours on the orders of an Udaipur village caste panchayat “offended” by the “illicit” relationship as the woman, 20, is married. HT reports.

A couple were tied to a tree, stripped, tonsured and beaten up for hours on the orders of an Udaipur village caste panchayat “offended” by the “illicit” relationship as the woman, 20, is married.

The couple, who come from Kolar village, 85km from here, are neighbours and have been seeing each other for two years, said the police. While the man, 25, is single, the woman has a two-year-old daughter.

They eloped 10 days ago but the villagers along with the woman’s husband tracked them to the neighbouring Kalyanpur village. Sunday they were presented before the caste council. Stripping and public thrashing was the kangaroo court’s order.

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“In front of hundreds of villagers, they were tied to a tree, stripped and beaten up,” said a police officer. Villagers stoned a police team sent to the spot. It took police four hours to rescue the two, who are now under their protection.

The woman's husband, deputy sarpanch Nandlal and six other people were arrested Monday, Udaipur SP Hari Prakash Sharma said.

Chief minister Ashok Gehlot has directed divisional commissioner Subodh Agarwal to probe the incident and send a report in a week.