'Pregnant' tribal woman in 'relationship with another man' paraded naked by husband in Rajasthan; 10 arrested
Jaipur, September 2
As the incident of a 21-year-old tribal woman being stripped and paraded in a Rajasthan village sparked outrage, police on Saturday said they have arrested 10 people, including her husband, and detained a minor.
A day after the video of the incident appeared on social media, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot met the victim and her family at Dhariyawad in Pratapgarh. He announced financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh and a government job for the woman.
Gehlot said the accused will be tried in a fast-track court and given the strictest punishment. “Such tragic and inhuman incidents should be condemned in one voice by the ruling and Opposition parties,” he said.
Pratapgarh Superintendent of Police P Amit Kumar Budaniya said they have arrested 10 people, including the woman’s husband, and detained a minor in connection with the incident that occurred on Thursday.
VIDEO | Three accused have been arrested for allegedly stripping and parading a tribal woman naked at a village in Rajasthan’s Pratapgarh. The accused got injured while trying to run away as police chased them. They are undergoing treatment in the district hospital. pic.twitter.com/hYHCCfB8UU
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 2, 2023
Initial investigation revealed that the woman was in a relationship with another man and was staying with him, according to Dhariyawad SHO Peshawar Khan. The police said the in-laws of the woman kidnapped her and took her to their village.
DGP Mishra said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed under the supervision of IG, Banswara Range, and SP Pratapgarh will investigate all aspects of the incident and submit the report to the state government and police headquarters.
The opposition BJP targeted the Congress Government, accusing it of failing to contain crimes against women in the state.
Former chief minister Vasundhara Raje alleged that the video of a pregnant woman being stripped in front of people was doing rounds on social media and had put Rajasthan to shame, but the administration was not aware of the incident.
However, Gehlot claimed that he had acted promptly after the incident came to his notice and compared it to the Centre’s response after two women were stripped and paraded in Manipur.
“The ruling party and the opposition should condemn such crimes in one voice so that the message goes in the society that there is no politics on such incidents,” the Chief Minister said.
In a statement, DGP Umesh Mishra said the victim lodged a complaint against her husband and others for forcibly taking her on a motorcycle and parading her naked.
The police also said that three of the accused were injured while trying to flee and are being treated at Pratapgarh District Hospital.
The Rajasthan State Human Rights Commission directed the Pratapgarh District Superintendent of Police to provide immediate financial assistance to the victim and investigate the matter thoroughly.
“After conducting a thorough investigation in the matter, submit the complete documents along with the investigation report to a senior officer for perusal of the Commission by September 14,” the rights body said.
