Around 40 members of a woman’s family were forced to shave their heads as part of a “purification” ritual after she married a man from a different caste in Odisha’s Rayagada district.
The incident took place in Baiganaguda village, located in the Kashipur block. The woman, belonging to a Scheduled Tribe (ST), had recently married a man from a Scheduled Caste (SC) from a neighbouring village. Her family was subsequently ostracised by the villagers.
According to reports, the villagers demanded a purification ritual for the family to be accepted back into the community. They threatened an indefinite social boycott if the family refused to comply. Under pressure, the family performed an animal sacrifice before a local deity and participated in a collective head-shaving ceremony.
A video of the incident, showing the family members sitting in a field with shaved heads, has gone viral on social media, sparking outrage.
Following this, Kashipur Block Development Officer (BDO) Vijay Soy ordered an investigation.
A block-level official has been dispatched to the village, and the administration has assured that appropriate action will be taken based on the findings of the report.
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