Wife Stripped And Forced To Carry Husband On Shoulders As 'Punishment' For Alleged Affair

In a shocking case of abuse, a 23-year-old woman was stripped, beaten up and forced to carry her husband on her shoulders for allegedly having an extra-marital affair.

The cruel and humiliating incident happened in the Indian state of Gujarat, reported The Times Of India. Though the incident occurred on July 6, reports surfaced only Monday after the video of the alleged abuse went viral.

Police have confirmed the incident, and an investigation was launched. Of the 19 people named in the complaint filed by the woman, 11 have already been arrested, the officers said.

According to the media outlet, the married woman, a resident of Khajuri village, was allegedly having an affair with another man. She left her husband and ran off with him last month. After hearing about her elopement, her husband and relatives decided to bring her back forcefully.

She was brought back to her village on July 6. A group of people then decided to "punish her for her crime." The woman was allegedly humiliated, stripped and beaten up before being forced to carry her husband on her shoulders. One of the accused captured the entire act on a video. The crowd also threatened her against revealing the incident to anyone.

After the incident came to light, authorities rescued the woman and subjected her to a medical examination. A case was then filed on the woman's complaint.

Such barbaric "shaming practices" continue in many rural and tribal parts of India, despite laws against it. It is often a kangaroo court (an unofficial court held by a group of people) that decides on the "punishment" in spite of the administration warning of a strict stance against such practices. Many a time, family members of the victim are also forced to take part in the punishment.

Last week, a tribal woman in the state of Madhya Pradesh was forced to carry her husband on her shoulders after she eloped with another man. Footage of the incident that showed the woman physically assaulted, heckled and jeered at by a mob as she walks with her husband on her shoulders had gone viral. Following this, police registered a case and arrested three people, including her husband, in connection with the incident.