Video Producer: Aparna Singh
Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam
(Trigger Warning: Descriptions of sexual assault, violence)
A 20-year-old tribal woman was allegedly stripped naked and paraded in a village in Rajasthan's Pratapgarh district by her husband and in-laws, police said on Friday, 1 September.
At least ten people, including the woman's husband, were arrested and one minor was detained on Saturday, 2 September in connection with the case, Rajasthan Additional Director General of Police (ADGP Crime) Dinesh MN told The Quint.
The victim was almost seven months pregnant, the police said.
A video of the assault, which surfaced on social media, shows the woman pleading for help, while a man, allegedly her husband, is seen publicly stripping her.
What happened: According to Rajasthan Director General of Police (DGP) Umesh Mishra, the incident took place on Thursday, 31 August in Nichalkota village of Pratapgarh district.
The woman was allegedly in a relationship with another man, which triggered the assault on her.
"Unhappy that she was living with another man despite being married, the woman's in-laws allegedly kidnapped her and took her to their village where she was beaten and paraded naked," DGP Mishra said.
“For the past one year, she was living with the accused (the husband) who is the father of the child. Around 15 days back, she had gone to live with her lover, which had enraged the accused,” Banswara Inspector General Parimala told The Quint.
The woman's husband paraded her naked for about one km in the village, the police added.
The arrests: On Friday night, the Pratapgarh police said that six teams had been formed to arrest the accused. Three of them were injured during the arrest when he tried to flee from the cops, IG Parimal told The Quint.
So far, a total of ten accused have been arrested in the case — Pintu Bheriya, Khetiya Meena, Motilal Meena, Puniya Meena, Kesra Meena, Suraj Meena, and Netiya Panchiya, Kanha Meena, Nathu Meena and Beniya Meena and a minor — have been detained.
The Quint has learnt that a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered in the Dhariyawad police station against 10 people under sections 365 (kidnapping), 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 323 (causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult), 506 (criminal intimidation), 298 (deliberate intention to wound religious feelings), and 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) – and section 67 (transmitting obscene material) of the IT Act.
"Further investigation is underway," Parimal said.
Political reactions: In a late-night tweet on 'X' (formerly Twitter), Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot condemned the incident, saying, "In Pratapgarh district, a video of a woman being stripped naked by her in-laws due to a family dispute with her in-laws has surfaced. The Director General of Police has been instructed to send the ADG Crime to the spot and take the strictest action in this matter."
"There is no place for such criminals in a civilized society. These criminals will be put behind bars as soon as possible and will be tried and punished in the fast track court."Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came down heavily on the Gehlot-led Congress government, with former chief minister Vasundhara Raje alleging that the video had been doing rounds on social media, but the administration was not aware of it.
Raje appealed to people to not share the video, saying that the incident "has put Rajasthan to shame."
Meanwhile, BJP President JP Nadda said the Congress was “busy settling factional squabbles”, referring to the power tussle between Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot.
“It’s no wonder the issue of women’s safety is being completely ignored in the state,” he added. “Every single day, there is an instance of harassment against women. The people of Rajasthan will teach the state government a lesson," he said on X.
BJP MP Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the incident has laid bare the hypocrisy of the Congress as he asked if Rahul Gandhi will seek Ashok Gehlot's resignation – and demand President's rule in the state.
"All limits of inhumanity towards women have been crossed in Rajasthan. In Dhariyavad, a woman has been stripped and beaten, the video of which is viral, but Gehlot ji, who makes tall claims on women's safety, is the Chief Minister and Home Minister of which state? Two days have passed, and the police have not even prepared the report! The hypocrisy of the Congress has been exposed now. Where is Rahul Gandhi? When will he come to Dhariyavad? When will he seek Ashok Gehlot's resignation and demand President's rule in Rajasthan?" Shekhawat wrote on X.
Meanwhile, condemning the incident, the National Commission for Women (NCW) on Saturday urged the state’s DGP to promptly arrest the culprits. “We demand a comprehensive report within 5 days,” the NCW said on X.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)