A woman schoolteacher in Odisha's Puri district was assaulted, garlanded with slippers, and paraded on the streets by her husband and others on Tuesday night after being accused of having an extramarital relationship. Her companion, also a teacher, faced public humiliation, videos of which went viral on social media.
According to the police, the woman, who had been living separately from her husband, a college lecturer, due to marital disputes, was residing in a rented house in the Neemapada area of Puri. Around 8 pm on Tuesday, her husband, accompanied by several associates, allegedly forced his way into her residence after suspecting her of infidelity.
Inside, he reportedly found her with a male friend. Video footage shows the woman being dragged out of the house by her husband, beaten, garlanded, and made to walk through the streets as crowds looked on. Her companion was stripped down to his underwear and forced to endure similar humiliation.
The pair were eventually compelled to walk towards the local police station, surrounded by the crowd, as bystanders recorded the ordeal on their phones.
The incident only came to light when videos of the assault began circulating widely on social media. The footage shows the woman being repeatedly struck and abused by her husband as onlookers record the scene. The woman is seen crying as she is pushed along the road.
The police intervened after being alerted to the situation. Authorities confirmed that the husband and one of his associates were arrested on charges of outraging the woman's modesty and unlawful assault.
Further investigation into the case is underway.
(With inputs from Dev Kumar Ghosh)
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