Puri: A commerce lecturer, along with his friend, was arrested, a day after a shocking video of his estranged wife being assaulted and paraded on the streets of Nimapara town in Odisha’s Puri district went viral on social media, drawing widespread condemnation.
They have been charged under the BNS for assault, outraging the modesty of a woman, public humiliation and criminal intimidation. Police have also seized a hammer, garlands, mobile phone and motorcycle of the accused.
According to police, the 37-year schoolteacher had been living separately from her 43-year-old husband, who is posted in Jagatsinghpur district, due to a marital dispute. The incident took place in her rented house near Nimapara police station, where she had been staying with her 14-year-old son since May.
At around 8 pm on Tuesday, the husband, who suspected her of infidelity, armed with a hammer allegedly barged into her house with his friend after learning that a teacher was visiting her. Claiming that they were found in a compromising position, the duo allegedly forced them to exchange garlands and apply vermilion on her forehead, before dragging them outside and parading them through the streets.
The footage showed the woman being hit and abused by her husband while being forced to walk nearly 300 metres in the town as a large crowd jeered, filmed, and watched the ordeal. The woman’s friend was stripped half-naked.
