Dalit woman paraded with blackened face, slippers garland in odisha over ₹2,000 loan
Angul, Odisha: A Dalit woman in Angul district was subjected to extreme humiliation after failing to repay a loan of just ₹2,000. A video of the incident, now widely circulated on social media, shows her being paraded through the village with her face blackened and a garland of slippers around her neck.
According to local sources, the woman had borrowed the money from a village committee. When she was unable to return it, a group of women convened a self-styled “kangaroo court” and ordered the degrading punishment.
The woman lodged a written complaint at Handapa police station on August 14. However, villagers allege that the police, along with local authorities and community leaders, attempted to suppress the matter and took no immediate action.
Fearing for her safety, the woman has since left the village. Some residents claim she may have been pressured into silence.
The incident only gained attention after the video went viral, sparking outrage among civil society groups and rights activists. They have demanded strict action against the perpetrators and accountability from the police.
An official response from the Angul district administration and police is awaited.
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BJP will form govt in Bengal with thumping majority: Nabin
Mirzapur (UP) (PTI): BJP president Nitin Nabin on Wednesday voiced confidence that his party will form the government in West Bengal with a "thumping majority".
Polling is underway for 142 constituencies in the second and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, covering key districts, including Kolkata, Howrah and North and South 24 Parganas.
The high-stakes contest is being seen as decisive for the ruling TMC's bid for a fourth consecutive term and the BJP's push to form its first government in the state. The first phase held on April 23 recorded a high voter turnout of over 93 per cent, reflecting intense electoral engagement.
Speaking to reporters in Mirzapur, Nabin said, "The BJP will form the government in Bengal. We are winning the elections with a massive majority."
Earlier in the day, the BJP chief visited the Vindhyavasini temple and offered prayers. The rituals were conducted by his priest Acharya Agastya Kumar Dwivedi.
On his first visit to the district after assuming office, Nabin was welcomed by party workers at several places. At the temple, he was received by city MLA Ratnakar Mishra and District Magistrate Pawan Kumar Gangwar, who felicitated him with a traditional 'angvastram'.
After offering prayers for about 10 minutes amid Vedic chants, Nabin held a meeting at a hotel with local MLAs, including Mishra, Majhwan MLA Suchismita Maurya and Madihan MLA Ramashankar Patel.
Patel said Nabin emphasised strengthening the organisation and asked public representatives to focus on serving people in their respective constituencies.
Several party leaders, including district president Lal Bahadur Saroj, district vice-president Gaurav Umar, municipal chairperson Shyam Sundar Kesari, women workers and senior officials, were present on the occasion.
Elaborate security arrangements were put in place by the district administration for the visit, with multiple officers of circle officer rank deployed, officials said.
