Rayagada, July 11: In a disturbing case of mob justice from Kanjamajhira village in Odisha’s Rayagada district, a young couple was publicly humiliated for marrying against local customs. The couple—who had recently tied the knot—were subjected to a cruel punishment that has sparked widespread outrage after a video of the incident went viral on social media.
According to reports, the man and woman, both residents of the village, faced backlash because they are close relatives—the man is the son of the woman's paternal aunt. Such a union is considered taboo under the village's traditional norms.
In a shocking act meant to punish and shame them, villagers tied the couple to a wooden yoke, typically used to harness oxen, and forced them to drag it across a field. The video shows the couple being whipped with sticks by two men as they pull the yoke, while a large crowd watched without intervening.
After the public ordeal, the couple was taken to the village shrine, where they were compelled to undergo so-called "purification rituals" aimed at cleansing them of what the villagers perceived as a social transgression.
Superintendent of Police S. Swati Kumar confirmed that a police team has visited the village and initiated an investigation.
