GUWAHATI: In a case of moral policing, a kangaroo court in Assam whipped a couple in full view of the public and forced them to marry for their alleged illicit relationship.
The incident, which occurred at Rangjuli in western Assam’s Goalpara district four days ago, came to light after a video of it had gone viral on the social media.
The police arrested one Kurban Ali, the trial court “judge”, on Thursday. It was he who had taken the lead in organising the trial. The police said the couple was beaten up with sticks by locals, including the woman’s brother. The trial and the thrashing were witnessed, among others, by the couple’s family members.
Goalpara Deputy Commissioner (District Magistrate), Varnali Deka, said action would be taken against all the guilty persons. Nobody should take law into his hands, she said.
The locals alleged that the couple was in an illicit relationship. The man is married and he hails from a neighbouring village. He allegedly used to visit the house of the woman who is a divorcee.
The locals caught the duo on June 17 after the man had spent the previous night at the woman’s house. The police said the trial court had passed a judgement directing the couple to get married. Two days later, the marriage was solemnised by a cleric and the next day, the duo left for Hyderabad in search of a job.
“After the video went viral, we immediately registered a case suo motu. Almost the entire village witnessed the proceedings of the trial court. We have identified three persons who had assaulted the couple. They will be arrested soon,” police inspector Bhabesh Biswas told The New Indian Express.
In a similar incident of moral policing in the district in April, a tribal woman was brutally beaten up for riding pillion with her Muslim friend. Later, 12 people were arrested by the police.