Police in Gujarat have arrested nine people after videos showing the alleged confinement and brutalisation of a woman surfaced on social media. Investigators say the assault was carried out under the pretext of a religious purification ritual.
BY PC Bureau
October 7: What was described as a religious purification ritual allegedly turned into a brutal ordeal of confinement, sexual assault and physical abuse for a woman in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district.
The matter came to light after explicit video clips of the alleged abuse circulated widely on social media. The footage showed the woman being held against her will, harassed and subjected to severe physical violence while onlookers mocked her. Acting on the videos and information received from community members, police launched an investigation.
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According to police, the survivor had left her husband and begun living with another man. Her husband and several relatives allegedly confined her inside a house, locking her up and restraining her with chains. She managed to escape, but the accused allegedly chased her, caught her and tied her to a tree with ropes.
The woman was then allegedly subjected to severe abuse under the guise of a purification ritual because of her relationship with the other man. Police allege that she was gang-raped, with the man she had been living with also allegedly involved in the assault. The ordeal was recorded on camera, and the footage was later posted online, reportedly as a warning to others.
Superintendent of Police Premsukh Delu said police acted proactively after receiving information from community members, as the survivor had not initially approached the police. Officers traced her through the viral videos, recorded her statement and took steps to ensure her safety.
Police have registered a case under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. Nine people have been arrested so far, including two women allegedly accused of facilitating the crime. Police are also investigating the roles and backgrounds of the other accused as the probe continues.
