On Thursday, August 31, 2023, a distressing incident took place in a village in Rajasthan’s Pratapgarh district where a tribal woman was being publicly humiliated by her husband and his family. The video of the incident went viral on social media on Friday, September. Responding to the incident after the video went viral, the Rajasthan Police mobilised teams to arrest the perpetrator. Preliminary investigations indicate that the woman was involved in a relationship with another man for which she was humiliated by her husband.
The viral video shows a man forcibly removing the 21-year-old woman’s clothes in front of a crowd and subjecting her to a humiliating naked public parade. The incident reportedly took place in Nichalkota village, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Pahada Gram Panchayat and Dhariyavad police station in Pratapgarh district of the state.
The victim had gotten married just a year ago as per police. However, her husband and her in-laws accused her of living with another man within the same village.
Giving details about the incident, Director General of Police (DGP) Umesh Mishra said, “The woman was punished by her in-laws. They took her to the village, where the incident took place. Her in-laws were angry with her because she was living with another man.”
The Rajasthan Police have arrested three individuals, including the victim’s husband. Additionally, police have apprehended seven other suspects connected to the case. Among the three arrested individuals is Kana Meena, who is identified as the victim’s husband.
A legal case has been filed against ten individuals under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 294 (pertaining to obscene acts), 354 (related to assaulting women), 365 (involving kidnapping), along with section 67 of the Information Technology Act, which deals with the transmission of obscene material.
Following the outrage over the incident, Rajasthan’s chief minister Ashok Gehlot acknowledged the incident and posted from his X handle, “In Pratapgarh district, a video of a woman being stripped naked by her in-laws has surfaced in a family dispute with her in-laws. The Director General of Police has been instructed to send ADG Crime on the spot and take strict action in this matter. There is no place for such criminals in a civilised society. These criminals will be put behind bars as soon as possible and punished after being prosecuted in a fast-track court.”
प्रतापगढ़ जिले में पीहर और ससुराल पक्ष के आपसी पारिवारिक विवाद में ससुराल पक्ष के लोगों द्वारा एक महिला को निर्वस्त्र करने का एक वीडियो सामने आया है।
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) September 1, 2023
पुलिस महानिदेशक को एडीजी क्राइम को मौके पर भेजने एवं इस मामले में कड़ी से कड़ी कार्रवाई के निर्देश दिए हैं।
सभ्य समाज में इस…
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also taken cognisance of the incident and criticised the police for its inaction before the video went viral. They have asked for a comprehensive report from the police within 5 days.
NCW vehemently condemns the harrowing incident in Pratapgarh, Rajasthan. A woman was molested, stripped, and recorded on video. Despite it happening two days ago, police inaction is unacceptable. @sharmarekha has instructed the state's DGP to promptly arrest the culprits and… https://t.co/qrf250LHYt
— NCW (@NCWIndia) September 2, 2023
Women safety has been a matter of concern in recent times in the state. Many cases of heinous crimes against women were reported in the state. On 21st July 2023, Rajasthan’s Rural Development Minister, Rajendra Singh Gudha also raised the question of women safety in the state, however, he was sacked by the Congress government after he raised this issue in the state assembly.
