KENDRAPARA: A 34-year-old married woman was allegedly tonsured and paraded with a blackened face in Belatala village within Pattamundai police limits on Tuesday for allegedly duping locals of lakhs of rupees on the pretext of providing them loans. Police have arrested 10 women involved in the incident.
The woman, a resident of Dakhinadia village, had allegedly collected the money from some women of the village by promising them lakhs of rupees as loan. However, she could not keep her promise. On the day, the duped women came across her at Belatala and demanded their money back. When she expressed her inability to pay back the amount, the women tonsured her before blackening her face. The victim was also paraded around the village. Some villagers recorded the entire incident on their mobile phones, the video of which went viral on social media.
Later in the day, the victim lodged an FIR with local police. In her complaint, she stated that she offered to return Rs 12,000 to the women. However, they refused to accept the money. “Around 20 women assaulted, abused and tonsured me. They also blackened my face and paraded me in the village,” she alleged.
The victim further said, “Some villagers tried to save me but they too were abused. The accused persons also threatened me not to file FIR against them in the police station.” She and her relatives alleged that some ruling party leaders are trying to shield the accused women and requested the district SP to take strong action against those involved in the incident.
Pattamundai IIC Tapan Kumar Rout said basing on the victim’s FIR, police arrested 10 women under sections 342, 294, 354, 355, 323, 379 and 34 of the IPC besides 66 (E), 67 of the IT Act, 2000. Investigation is underway and more people will be arrested in this case, he added.