Malda: Villagers heckle couple publicly in Kaliachak, 11 arrested

Malda: A couple from Bamongram-Mosinpur Gram Panchayat under Kaliachak Police Station was allegedly defamed in a Kangaroo Court over an illicit relationship and made to walk through the village with their faces blackened. Moreover, the couple was physically assaulted and kept in a house with bleeding injuries on the night of July 12.

The police received information about the torture on Saturday and immediately rescued them. The couple was taken to hospital for treatment, and a case was filed against 19 people from the village. Eleven have been arrested in the case, and eight remain absconding. The arrested individuals have been remanded to judicial custody until July 20 by the court.

The husband and wife both divorced from their previous marriages and married nearly two years ago. They possess a ‘Kazinama’ (Muslim marriage certificate) for their union. The husband, who is a hawker and frequently travels to other states for work, visits his wife occasionally. This situation provided an opportunity for the former husband of the woman to plot against the couple regarding their alleged illicit relationship.

On July 13, the injured couple were forcibly tonsured and paraded throughout the entire village with their faces blackened. Villagers also ignited firecrackers, and video clips were recorded. Upon receiving a tip, the police promptly arrived at the scene to rescue the victims.

They managed to arrest 11 individuals, while the remaining eight fled from the village.

Pradesh Kumar Yadav, Superintendent of Police, Malda, said, “The police acted swiftly and are actively searching for the absconding individuals.”

Debjyoti Paul, Assistant Public Prosecutor (APP), stated, “The accused persons have been remanded to judicial custody by the court. They will appear in court next on July 20.”