A woman was allegedly tied to a tree, beaten, and partially stripped by a group of four women near Panruti in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore district. A disturbing 2.13-minute video of the assault has gone viral on social media, triggering outrage.
Police said the brutality appears to have stemmed from a land dispute. One of the accused women has been arrested, while three others are on the run. "We have formed special teams to trace the accused on the run. A land issue appears to be the motive. Investigation is underway," a senior police officer told NDTV. When asked if this was a caste-based atrocity, the officer added, "We are investigating."
The video - which NDTV cannot independently verify - shows the woman tied to a tree with her own sari. Four women surround her, hurling abuses, beating her, and attempting to strip her. At one point, they partially remove her blouse in an attempt to humiliate her. One woman is heard saying, "You are equivalent to a dog." Another is seen wielding a stick and striking the victim, while one pulls her by the hair. The victim is seen desperately clinging to one of the attackers to prevent being fully stripped.
The footage also captures a woman filming the assault, warning the perpetrators that all of them could end up in jail. But they appear unfazed and continue the atrocity. Towards the end of the video, an elderly woman is seen trying to grab her phone.
Meanwhile, a woman intervenes midway, trying to stop the others from further humiliating the victim.
Police say further investigation is underway to establish the sequence of events and bring all those involved to justice.
