Elham Asaad Buaras
Three Muslim women in Kushinagar, a district in Uttar Pradesh, northern India, suffered a brutal assault and public humiliation after enraged members of a Hindu girl’s maternal family targeted them in alleged retaliation. The attack reportedly occurred in the village of Nebua Naurangia following accusations that the women’s son had eloped with the Dalit girl, who had gone missing days earlier.
The girl, a married woman from the Gulriha police station area in Gorakhpur, disappeared on January 2. Suspicions quickly arose, blaming a Muslim man for her disappearance. Furious over the incident, the girl’s maternal family stormed into the man’s home, allegedly dragging his mother and two aunts outside. They reportedly stripped the women of their clothing, paraded them naked through the village, and set their clothes on fire.
Villagers reportedly stood by as silent spectators, some even recording the traumatic incident without intervening.
One of the victims shared her harrowing experience with the media, saying, “They barged into our home, assaulted us, forcibly removed our clothes, dragged us out, and paraded us all around the village.” Another victim, the boy’s aunt, added, “Nine women and four men beat us and burned all our clothes.” Despite these grave allegations, the local Station House Officer (SHO) stated that claims of the women being paraded naked have not yet been substantiated.
Authorities have registered cases of assault and rioting from both sides. Additionally, the girl’s in-laws in Gorakhpur filed a separate complaint at the Gulriha police station, intensifying the ongoing investigation into this deeply troubling incident.
