Villagers allegedly attacked the couple after they violated a tribal tradition.
Udaipur, Rajasthan:
Thirteen people have been arrested from a village in Rajasthan after they allegedly stripped, paraded and held hostage a couple for two days for going against a tribal tradition.
According to the police complaint, the woman had left her husband and was living with another man under a custom called 'Natha' prevalent among tribal population in the region.
But since the husband was not given a monetary compensation, as is the custom, villagers of Kaanod, around 120 km from Udaipur, turned on the couple.
The couple was kidnapped, paraded naked, tied to a tree and held hostage for two days. When the brother and family members of the woman went to rescue her, they too were attacked and beaten up.
"When I went to rescue my sister, the villagers tortured her, stripped and paraded her. They also kept her hostage. When I went two days later, they attacked me as well," said her brother.
She was only released after the family shelled out Rs 80,000. The police said they have taken a note of the incident and have registered a First Information Report or FIR.
The couple and her family have recorded their statements before the police. Thirteen people including the victim's husband and three women have been arrested in this case.
"We have arrested 13 people including the husband. The victims have not registered an FIR as they usually solve these matters within the community. But the Station House Officer has registered an FIR taking cognisance of the issue and we are certainly investigating the case," Rajendra Goyal, a senior police officer in Udaipur, said.