Tribal couple forced to plough field for defying marriage norms in Odisha
Bhubaneswar, Jul 11 (PTI): A tribal couple in Odisha’s Rayagada district was allegedly forced to plough a field with a yoke placed on their shoulders as a form of public punishment for marrying against community traditions, officials said on Friday.
The alleged incident took place at Kanjamajodi village within Kalyansinghpur police limits on Wednesday, they added.
A purported video of the incident, which went viral on social media on Friday, shows the young man and woman being paraded like oxen with a yoke strapped on their shoulders, made to plough a field in front of villagers and community elders.
PTI, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
According to villagers, the couple — who reportedly got married in defiance of customary tribal norms — were subjected to a public 'purification' ritual.
The young man is alleged to have married his paternal aunt (father’s sister), which is considered a taboo by the community due to their blood relation.
Once the relationship came to light, a kangaroo court of village elders reportedly convened and ordered the punishment, carried out in full public view.
After performing the 'rituals', the community leaders allegedly asked the couple to immediately leave the village. Their current whereabouts remain unknown.
Village head Biswanath Kurshika said, "We performed the 'purification' rituals and punished them so that they can get rid of the sin they have earned for marrying within the blood relation."
If the rituals were not conducted, the villagers would have faced crop loss as there would be no rain in the area, he claimed.
Rajendra Kurshika, another villager, said, "The rituals were performed in accordance with our tradition and they (couple) were separated."
Terming the act as ‘inhuman’, Rayagada sub-collector Ramesh Kumar Jena said he will visit the village on Saturday to inquire about the incident.
"Those found guilty during the inquiry will face legal action," Jena said.
When culture becomes vulture !
— Amiya_Pandav ଅମିୟ ପାଣ୍ଡଵ Write n Fight (@AmiyaPandav) July 11, 2025
A scene from Rayagada district of #Odisha ! A boy n girl who love each other are forced to plough in public just like bullocks as punishment !
It's inhuman indeed ! should be stopped @Ashok_Kashmir @irfhabib @BabelePiyush @amityadavbharat pic.twitter.com/4w2hNaMGy5
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
