In Madhya Pradesh’s Alirajpur district, a 19-year-old woman was severely beaten and hung from a tree after she attempted to flee her husband’s residence for the second time.

The incident was made public after a video was released showing the woman being beaten up by three guys with sticks while being dragged across a field.

The video was extensively circulated, and it drew the attention of Alirajpur police’s cyber unit, which began tracking down the woman. The woman was found with minor injuries at her home in Bade Phool Talao village on July 1.

The accused seen beating the woman have been identified as her father Kel Singh and first cousins Bhuwan Bheel, Karam Bheel and Dinesh Bheel.

Superintendent of Police, Vijay Bhagwavi, said, “We have counselled the family and the woman is now with her mother. Our Mahila Bal Vikas team has been asked to ensure that all help is provided to her.”

According to the police, the woman was unhappy in her marriage where she was perhaps being subjected to domestic violence. After she was found escaping for the second time, she was caught and thrashed by her family members as punishment.

All the four accused have been booked for voluntarily causing hurt under sections 323, uttering obscene acts and words under 294, criminal intimidation under 506, assault and use of criminal force to dishonour the person under 355 and for common intention under 34 of the Indian Penal Code.