Bihar teen tied to tree, thrashed for eloping with man of different caste

Nawada (Bihar): An 18-year-old woman was tied to a tree and thrashed for hours on Friday after she eloped with a man from another caste in Bihar.

The diktat to tie the woman to the tree was issued by the Panchayat for "dishonouring" the village.

She was brought back by her family and as punishment the village Panchayat members thrashed her publicly.

A video showed the young woman in a semi-conscious state tied to a tree with a rope. Villagers, including elderly woman and children were seen standing around the woman as a man standing next to her was seen asking them to clear the area.

Another clip showed the woman on the ground, still tied to the tree. A man pulls her up by her hair. A man in green t-shirt holds a wooden stick. A while later, a third man comes up to the woman, drags her by her hair and told her, "Stay alert." The man in green t-shirt then offers her a glass of water.

The father of the girl told ANI that his daughter was tied because she eloped with a man from another caste. "She was tied because she is a criminal. She wants to go with a man from another case," the father said adding that he wanted someone from their own caste for his daughter.

"She slipped out of the home with some excuse when there was no power at night. We searched the entire street. When we got tired of searching, we woke up our brothers. I didn't know when she ran away. All I know is that she told the Panchayat that she loved this man," NDTV quoted the woman's father as saying.

After receiving the information, the police intervened into the matter and rescued the victim. The police also recorded the statement of the woman.