Mangaldai:

In a case of moral policing, a woman was socially ostracised and fined Rs 5,000 for wearing salwar-kameez in Darrang district of Assam, officials said on Wednesday.

According to an official of the district commissioner’s office, the incident took place in Gongajani Kuwori village in Sipajhar revenue circle area recently.

The woman, identified as Meghali Das, on Wednesday filed complaints with the police and civil administration, and officials are likely to visit the village on Thursday to look into the matter.

“I have been ostracised and asked to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 for wearing salwar-kameez… I run a small shop and since I need to bring commodities from the market, I prefer wearing salwar to a mekhela-sador (traditional Assamese dress) or saree,” she told reporters here.

Meghali Das said that the villagers objected to her wearing salwar-kameez and took the decision in a kangaroo court held at a local temple premises on Sunday.

“We are not being allowed to visit the houses of other people in the village. My three children have also been told not to go to shops, let alone visit other villagers. Villagers have also asked their children to not speak to my children at school,” she added.

Despite the decision of the villagers, the affected woman vowed to continue wearing salwar-kameez as it is convenient for her work.

Meanwhile, the villagers admitted that a fine was imposed on Das for wearing salwar-kameez and jeans, but alleged that the woman was also involved in many illegal activities, including selling fake gold and illegally bottled alcohol at her shop.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Hyderabad:

A couple travelling on a two-wheeler was stopped by three minors who allegedly abused the youngster driving the bike presumably for taking a girl belonging to another community on his bike, police said on Tuesday.

The video of the purported ‘moral policing’ of the incident, which took place on August 26, went viral on social media.

The trio, who are minors were subsequently arrested after a case was booked on Monday, a police official said adding the couple in the video was not identified.

The trio, police said, stopped the couple while they were going on a two-wheeler and after getting to know that the youngster driving the bike belonged to another community they started abusing him by questioning on “why was he taking the girl belonging to another community with him?” In the video, one among the trio is heard questioning the biker what is her (pillion rider) name and where he was taking her even as the bike rider asks him “what was his problem?” He then starts abusing the biker. After being told by the biker that “she is my friend”, the trio ask her to get down from the bike.

However, the trio later left the place, though, one among the trio filmed the incident and afterwards posted it on social media, police said.

Based on the video, the police booked a case on its own at Jubilee Hills Police Station against the trio and apprehended them and as they are minors their parents were also served with notices, the official said.

Further investigation was on.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)