Odisha shocker: Newly-wed couple tied like oxen, made to plough field by mob | VIDEO
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media, prompting outrage.
A young couple from Kanjamajhira village in Odisha’s Rayagada district faced brutal mob justice after marrying against purported local customs. The man, reportedly the paternal aunt's son of the bride, is considered too closely related to her according to traditional beliefs, making their union taboo within the community. Despite the marriage being legal, the relationship drew strong objections from fellow villagers, who viewed the alliance as an unacceptable breach of custom.
Forced to plough like animals
In a disturbing display of social punishment, the couple was subjected to a public shaming ritual. They were tied to a yoke fashioned from bamboo and wooden logs, similar to those used by bullocks for ploughing. In a scene recorded on video and now widely circulated online, the couple was forced to drag a wooden plough across a field as villagers watched silently. The spectacle resembled Taliban-style punishments and has sparked nationwide condemnation for its inhumanity and lack of intervention by bystanders.
The crude plough was fastened to the couple’s shoulders, binding them side by side as if they were oxen. They were made to trudge through the field, their humiliation unfolding under the gaze of hundreds of villagers. The video has prompted sharp criticism of the passive role played by those present during the incident.
Purification rituals after public humiliation
After being forced to plough the field, the couple was taken to the village shrine, where elders made them perform purification rituals. These acts were intended to cleanse what villagers saw as the couple’s ‘sin’ of violating social norms. The punishment was meant not only to shame them but also to symbolically reintegrate them into the community after their defiance.
The incident has triggered outrage across the state, with activists and civil society groups calling for immediate legal action against those involved. Authorities have launched an investigation, and the state government has assured that strict action will be taken against perpetrators of such regressive and unlawful acts.