Bihar woman alleges panchayat blamed her for rape, public humiliation
A 30-year-old woman in Begusarai district has alleged that after being raped by her neighbour, she was subjected to public humiliation instead of receiving justice
A 30-year-old woman in Begusarai district has alleged that after being raped by her neighbour, she was subjected to public humiliation instead of receiving justice. According to her complaint, villagers caught the accused while he was allegedly trying to flee by breaking a window. They then convened a village panchayat and allegedly humiliated her in front of those present. A purported video showing the woman doing so went viral on social media. As per the FIR, lodged on Saturday (August 1, 2026), the mother of two children was allegedly raped twice on June 2 and 4, 2026, when her husband, who works as a labourer in another State, was away from the village.
The woman lodged the complaint after her husband returned to the village on June 25. According to the complaint, the FIR was filed after the purported video of the incident went viral on social media, triggering widespread outrage. The complaint states that during the panchayat on July 5, 2026, she was asked to hold her ears and kneel, and was allegedly forced to lick her own spit after the village panchayat declared that it was all her fault. Speaking to The Hindu, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarters), Begusarai, Nikhil Kumar, said, “Police have lodged the FIR based on the complaint of the woman.
The incident took place two months back, in which she has alleged that she was threatened by the accused and raped. When the accused was trying to flee the house by breaking the window, the villagers caught him.” He further said, “Both the accused and the woman were subjected to humiliation. However, in the complaint, she has not mentioned the name of any individual. One video is getting viral on social media; police are trying to verify the authenticity of that video and investigation is underway.” The incident took place under the jurisdiction of the Ballia police station.
When contacted, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Ballia, Subodh Kumar, said one person, who is the son of a ward councillor, had been arrested in the case. According to police sources, the accused is known to the woman and is also a distant relative.
The BriefWire