Assam Woman Kicked, Her Hair Pulled By 'Moral Police'. They Made A Video

Guwahati: A disturbing video that is being shared online shows a young woman in Assam being brutally beaten up by a group of drunk men. The woman standing next to a vehicle can be seen screaming as two men pull her hair and kick her as she tries to make an urgent phone call. Another man is seen recording the harassment on his mobile phone as the woman is hit on her face. The men then kick and thrash the woman's male companion as he crouches in fear and pain. The incident took place in Assam's Golapara district , 130 kilometres from Guwahati. Twelve people have been detained.

Police believe that the assault on the 22-year-old woman from the Garo community and her Muslim companion is a case of moral policing as the men thought the two were in a relationship and decided to take matters into their own hands.

"We have registered a case. 12 persons have been detained and we are trying to zero in on the main accused," said Amitabha Sinha, the top police officer in Goalpara told NDTV.

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The police officer said the woman's marriage has been fixed and that she was going to a medical centre with the man when the drunk men spotted her, reported news agency PTI. The attackers sought an explanation from the woman for going out with another man, he said.

"See the gruesome way she was beaten. It is clear from the video that people were slapping her, kicking her in full public view and no one came forward to her," said women rights activist Jaynie Sangma from Meghalaya.

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The foothills of Garo hills in Meghalaya and neighbouring Assam's Kamrup and Goalpara districts have a significant population of the ethnic Garo community and Muslims. Sources said police is trying to solve the case on priority and identify the culprits to avoid communal tensions.

(With inputs from PTI)