A harrowing tale of vigilante ‘justice’ unfolded in Chhattisgarh’s Pendara, where a widow’s affair led to public humiliation reminiscent of extremist regimes. Her lover’s relatives beat her with slippers, covered her in filth, disrobed her, and forced her to walk naked across Raniip village, igniting widespread fear and division.
The 35-year-old woman, widowed for nearly a year, had been secretly involved with married villager Hari Prasad Rathore, 35. The pair fled on October 29 last year, seeking refuge in Shahdol’s Malachhwa village in neighboring Madhya Pradesh.
Upon their return last Friday, village tensions boiled over. Law enforcement stepped in, holding talks at Khodri chowki. The widow expressed her unwavering commitment to Hari Prasad amid the negotiations.
Tragedy struck Saturday morning when Saroj Rathore—Hari Prasad’s wife—along with Manoj and Yashoda Rathore arrived at the woman’s doorstep. What followed was a brutal assault: they yanked her outside, pummeled her with shoes and hands, stripped her bare, slathered cow dung on her, and paraded her in full view of shocked onlookers.
Brave villagers and her kin intervened to free her. Officers arrived promptly, providing medical aid and filing charges against the three accused under IPC sections for grievous hurt, outraging modesty, and criminal intimidation.
As the probe deepens, this incident underscores the urgent need for gender sensitization and robust policing in remote areas. Community leaders call for calm, but the scar of this medieval punishment lingers, raising questions about women’s autonomy in traditional societies.