TV
In a chilling repeat of the recent Rayagada incident, a couple in Koraput district was subjected to inhuman punishment for marrying within the same clan, a video of which has gone viral on social media.
The tribal ritual involved tying the love couple like bullocks and forcing them to plough in front of the village, sources said on Sunday.
Also Read: Couple brutally punished, forced to plough field for ‘love marriage’ in Odisha
Reportedly, the disturbing incident occurred in Peda Itigi village of Borigi panchayat under Narayanpatna block in the district. A couple, who had previously eloped and had started living together, were allegedly paraded before the villagers and yoked together like bullocks and forced to plough.
The ‘primitive punishment’ was carried out publicly, as part of a so-called ‘traditional purification’ ritual. This was reportedly done after the girl’s family initially objected to the relationship but later agreed to condone the marriage if local customs were followed to ‘absolve the supposed sin’.
A video of the event has gone viral, triggering outrage and raising serious questions about caste-based and clan-based discrimination in Odisha’s tribal areas. Despite the widespread circulation of the footage, no FIR has been lodged yet.
According to sources, the couple had been living together peacefully when the girl’s family called the boy and convinced him to undergo a traditional penance, with the promise that they would accept the union. Instead, they were subjected to humiliation.
This mirrors one such incident that took place just a few days ago in a tribal-dominated village in Rayagada district’s Kalyansinghpur block, where a video surfaced showing a couple being punished similarly.
Meanwhile, human rights activists have called for immediate intervention and legal action.
No comments could be received from the local police or the victims’ families in this regard.
Reported By: Giridhar Khara
