Villagers parade couple with garland of shoes, police initiate probe

News Summary:

• A video went viral on social media showing a 27-year-old man and a married woman being paraded by villagers in Sleemanabad, Madhya Pradesh.
• The villagers accused the couple of having an affair and garlanded them with shoes.
• The police received a video and photographs of the incident and launched an investigation.
• The Superintendent of Police stated that the incident resulted from a quarrel between the woman, her lover, and her husband.

Katni (Madhya Pradesh): In a shocking incident in Sleemanabad, Madhya Pradesh, villagers took the law into their own hands and subjected a couple to public humiliation.

A viral video circulating on social media captured the couple being paraded with a garland of shoes around their necks. The villagers accused them of engaging in an illicit relationship, leading the Madhya Pradesh Police to initiate an investigation into the matter.

Incident Reported and Initial Response

The incident unfolded under the jurisdiction of Sleemanabad police station in Katni district. On May 10, the deputy sarpanch of Salarpur, Vishwanath Singh, contacted the authorities via Dial 100. He informed them that a young man named Rahul Kumar, who hailed from Uttar Pradesh, had arrived in Pipariya village and was seen conversing with a married woman from the village. 

The locals apprehended Rahul Kumar, sparking a chain of events that led to the public humiliation of the couple.

The police swiftly responded to the call and arrived at the village, where they encountered a gathering consisting of the sarpanch, deputy sarpanch, the woman's husband, family members, the accused youth, and other villagers. 

It became apparent that a panchayat meeting had taken place, during which the villagers discussed the situation and expressed their intention to facilitate the couple's union by conducting the necessary rituals.

During the on-site inquiry, the police questioned both the woman and the accused youth about any instances of assault or mistreatment. They both denied any such incidents, affirming that nothing untoward had transpired. 

Following their statements, the villagers released the couple from their custody. For a brief period, no further developments regarding the matter were reported.

Emergence of Video and Photographs

However, on May 13, the police received additional evidence in the form of a photograph and a video that had captured the deplorable incident. The images depicted the young man and the married woman with garlands of shoes adorning their necks. 

Although no formal complaints had been filed, the police took the video and photographs as crucial evidence and promptly launched an investigation into the matter.

The Superintendent of Police in Katni, Abhijeet Kumar Ranjan, confirmed they became aware of the incident through social media. 

He stated that the preliminary investigation indicated the incident resulted from a quarrel involving the woman, her lover, and her husband. 

Police Response and Assurances 

Despite the absence of formal complaints, the police decided to take suo moto action to address the distressing incident. They assured that appropriate action would be taken against those responsible for subjecting the couple to public humiliation.