Woman dragged out of house, assaulted, paraded over adultery claims in Odisha; husband arrested

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police have arrested two people, including a 43-year-old college lecturer, for allegedly parading his 37-year-old estranged wife along with her male companion on a public road in Nimapada town, Puri district, over suspicion of an extramarital relationship.

The incident happened on Tuesday night when the lecturer, accompanied by a friend, reportedly barged into his wife’s residence, assaulted her, and forced her and her companion to walk on the streets, a senior police officer said. The lecturer claimed that his wife was involved in a relationship with another man. Both the wife and her male companion, however, denied the allegation, police added.

"We have arrested the lecturer and his associate on charges of outraging the modesty of a woman, physically assaulting her, publicly humiliating them by making them parade on the streets," said Bamadev Swain, inspector-in-charge of Nimapada police station, in a phone conversation with PTI.

A video clip purportedly showing the assault and public humiliation circulated widely on social media, though PTI could not independently verify its authenticity.

The woman, who has a 14-year-old son, has been living separately in a rented accommodation in Nimapada for several years, police said.