Koraput/Narayanpatna: A couple in Peda Itiki village under Bargi panchayat of Narayanpatna block in the district was subjected to humiliating punishment for marrying within the same clan, as a kangaroo court allegedly forced them to plough the village road with a wooden yoke tied to their backs, a report said. The matter came to light after a video of the incident went viral, days after a similar case in neighbouring Rayagada district made headlines.
Sources said the 18-year-old girl and the 21-year-old man were reportedly in a relationship for nearly five years. They are said to belong to the same clan and are considered cousins under tribal customs. They had eloped and got married, defying societal norms and age-old community traditions.
Later, their families and relatives lured them back to the village, promising their marriage. Upon their return, some village elders declared the marriage invalid due to their shared lineage and insisted that they must undergo a ritualistic punishment called ‘Balada Danda’ (plough justice) to absolve them of their so-called sin. They tied them a yoke and made them till the village road. The couple was later sprinkled with coconut mixed water as part of a ‘purification’ ritual. Narayanpatna police station IIC Pramod Kumar Nayak said Sunday that a probe has been launched into the incident.