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Woman dragged out of home, thrashed over loan; 7 arrested

A woman was allegedly dragged out of her home, lashed with a belt, punched and kicked by a group of men, including the brother of a Congress leader, in Punjab's Muktsar district over a loan, police said Saturday.

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 A woman was allegedly dragged out of her home, lashed with a belt, punched and kicked by a group of men, including the brother of a Congress leader, in Punjab's Muktsar district over a loan, police said Saturday.

The attack on Friday sparked outrage after a video of the assault over an alleged unpaid loan of Rs 23,000 surfaced on social media, with the Opposition criticising the "deteriorating" law and order in the state.

Out of the 10 accused in the case, seven persons, including Congress Councillor of Muktsar municipal council Rakesh Chaudhary and his brother have been arrested.

"We have arrested the seventh accused Rakesh Chaudhary (Congress Councillor) this evening," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manjit Singh Dhesi said Saturday.

Rakesh, who was not part of the group of men who thrashed the woman, was charged with criminal conspiracy along with other relevant sections of IPC.

In the video, the 35-year-old was seen being assaulted in the middle of a road as her son kept watching helplessly, crying and saying, "My mother is being beaten up." The woman's son apparently shot the video clip in which she is seen being pulled by her hair.

One of the accused even sat on her when she was lying on the road.

An elderly woman, apparently her mother, is seen trying to stop the men from thrashing her. But she is also slapped and pushed by one of them.

According to the police, the woman was brutally assaulted after an argument over money between her and the wife of one of the accused. The victim owed Rs 23,000 to Suresh Chaudhary, the councillor's brother, police said. The remaining three accused -- Hassan, Renu and Jyoti --- are yet to be arrested, said Dhesi.

The SSP said a case had been registered against the 10 accused under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 452 (house trespass), 354 (assault to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The six accused, who were arrested earlier in the day, are Suresh Chaudhary, Roop Lal, Sunny Chaudhary, Guddi, Sekhu and Jebo. They were produced in a local court on Saturday and sent to two-day police remand, the SSP said.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh condemned the incident and said such acts of violence would not be tolerated.

"Accused in the video from Muktsar have been arrested by Punjab police & booked for attempt to murder u/s 307 IPC. No one is above the law and such acts of violence will not be tolerated," he tweeted.

State women commission chairperson Manisha Gulati said it would ensure strict action against the accused so that nobody would dare to repeat the "inhuman act".

Gulati said the police have been asked to take strict action and a member of the commission also met the victim in Muktsar.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lashed out at the Congress-led government and alleged that the law and order situation in the state is deteriorating.

"Never came across an incident in which a woman is being beaten up so brutally. It is the real picture of the law and order situation in the state," SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema said.

"Women are not feeling safe in their homes. But the government is least bothered. It should ensure time-bound and exemplary punishment to the accused," he said.

AAP legislator and Leader of Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema asked the chief minister to quit the Home portfolio if he cannot prevent such incidents.

"The law and order situation is pathetic in the state," he said.


 

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