Bengal: On khap panchayat orders, woman beaten 108 times for extra-marital affair

QUICK PILL

A woman from Bengal's Murshidabad had her hair chopped off and received 108 lashings on the orders of her village's khap panchayat which suspected her of having an affair outside her marriage.

The woman, 30, was dragged out of her house on 9 October and humiliated by a group of 50 people. The Salisha Sabha - khap panchayat - ordered the husband to cut her wife's hair while she sat in horror. After this, a young man volunteered to beat her 108 times with a bamboo stick, as part of the punishment. Along with the woman, the husband was also beaten.

According to media reports, seven people have been charged and three have been arrested, the police said.

As a part of punishment, the self-styled court demanded a fine of Rs. 6,000 and negated the couple's request for more time to pay the fine. Facing threats, the couple didn't report the incident, media reported.

According to a report in NDTV, the woman on 2 October, allegedly, along with one of three children, left for Durgapur with a man from a neighbouring village. However, returned seven days later when the man refused to marry her.