Tribal woman beaten up, disrobed, paraded in Gujarat village by mob; 12 arrested
Dahod, Jan 31 (PTI): A 35-year-old tribal woman was assaulted, disrobed and paraded by a mob led by her father-in-law in Gujarat's Dahod district over a suspected extra-marital affair, following which 12 persons were arrested after a video of her ordeal went viral on social media, a police official said on Friday.
The incident took place on January 28 in a village in Sanjeli taluka, Superintendent of Police Rajdeepsinh Zala said.
"An FIR was registered on January 29 against 15 persons. We have arrested 12 persons, comprising four men, four women and four juveniles. After we were alerted about the incident, we rescued the woman, who was locked inside the house by her father-in-law," he said.
The accused have been booked on charges of abduction, wrongful confinement, outraging modesty and assault with intent to disrobe, while those in the mob who videoed the act and circulated it have been slapped with provisions of Information Technology Act, the SP informed.
As per the FIR, the victim had an affair with a man from the village and had gone to meet him on the day of the incident.
A mob led by her father-in-law Bahadur Damor and her husband's brother Sanjay Damor along with some women stormed into the man's house, assaulted the victim, partially disrobed her and forced her to walk around the village after tying her hands with a chain, police said.
She was then tied to a motorcycle and dragged on the main road before being taken home and locked inside, as per the FIR.
The opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party slammed the BJP government over the incident and sought strict action against the culprits.
Gujarat Health Minister and government spokesperson Rushikesh Patel told reporters in Gandhinagar that police acted immediately and have arrested 12 persons so far.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
