(Content Warning: The article contains details of extremely distressing content, which some readers may find distressing; discretion is advised. Due to its sensitive nature, to respect the privacy of those in the video and avoid further dissemination of potentially harmful content, we have chosen not to include the link to the post in this story.)
A video is being widely shared on social media in which a woman tied to a tree is being flogged by a man while a group of people are watching.
The video is shared with a caption suggesting that the video shows a woman being punished under Sharia law.
A social media user shared the video with a caption that reads, “In Sharia law, women and girls are treated like property or even slaves.”
SouthCheck found that the claim is false. The video is from Uttar Pradesh in 2018. The woman and men are Hindus, and the context behind the violence is unrelated to Sharia law or Islam.
On a Google reverse image search, we found that the same video was shared by a YouTube channel, NYOOOZ TV on March 23, 2018.
The caption associated with the report read, “In a shocking incident, a village panchayat in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr gave a cruel order to punish a woman who allegedly eloped with a man. In a viral video, the woman was tied to a tree and flogged in public by her husband. A case has been registered, but such an incident throws light on the horrific character of Indian society and the society must think how to deal with the menace.”
Taking a hint, we searched with relevant keywords and found the incident was also reported by The Hindu on March 23, 2018.
According to the report, a woman in Uttar Pradesh was publicly flogged by her family for eloping with a man. The incident occurred in the presence of a large crowd in the village. Authorities have initiated an investigation into the matter.
Hindustan Times also reported on the incident on March 22, 2018.
The report read, a woman in Launga village, Uttar Pradesh, was publicly flogged by her husband on the orders of a village panchayat for eloping with a neighbour. The full-length video is 73 seconds long and shows her tied to a tree, beaten with a leather belt, as a crowd watches. Police have arrested the former panchayat head, his son, and the woman’s husband, Shaudan Singh. Bulandshahr Superintendent of Police Praveen Ranjan Singh stated that the panchayat aimed to ‘teach a lesson to the woman.’
The report further said that in her complaint to the police, the woman said she had eloped with her neighbour, Dharmendra Lodhi, on March 5 and stayed at a relative’s house in another village. Five days later, people from Launga persuaded the couple to return. Police stated that Shersingh and his supporters held a kangaroo court, ordering her public flogging. Some villagers objected and asked the former pradhan to stop, but they were insulted and driven away. After the beating, she was allegedly dragged into a room, molested and told to remain silent. She also claimed Shersingh instructed his men to record the incident as a warning to others. A case has been filed against 18 people, with raids ongoing to arrest additional suspects.
The incident was also reported by NDTV.
Hence, we can ascertain that the viral claim is false.
