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2 min readRanchiApr 1, 2026 05:58 PM IST
Police said the incident occurred Sunday in Bhabha Nagar but came to light only after a video surfaced on social media later in the week. (Source: File/ Representational)
Two Adivasi women were publicly humiliated in Ranchi — their faces blackened, “chor” (thief) scribbled on their foreheads — and paraded through their neighbourhood with garlands of footwear over allegations of motorcycle theft.
Police said the incident occurred Sunday in Bhabha Nagar but came to light only after a video surfaced on social media later in the week.
According to the women’s complaint, the accused had been harassing a tribal man for a week, alleging his 12-year-old son was involved in a bike theft. On Sunday night, a group of suspects allegedly forced their way into the man’s home while his wife and son were alone and began assaulting the boy.
“They came and started abusing. They first attacked my son and began beating him. When my wife tried to intervene, she was assaulted as well. Another woman, a friend, who was present at the scene was also beaten,” he said, adding the families were accused of theft.
As the assault continued, the two women were allegedly dragged out — their faces blackened and “thief” scribbled on their foreheads — and forced to wear garlands of footwear.
“We were then paraded across the locality and nearby areas while being abused and threatened. If they were suspicious of my husband, they should have waited for him or should have taken it to the police,” the complainant said.
Two suspects — 25-year-old Bihar resident Pankaj Kumar and his 23-year-old friend Sanatana Kumari — have been arrested, and police are searching for a third. According to police, the dispute stemmed from a motorcycle loaned to the family but not returned within a week.
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A case has been registered under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
“Pankaj began confronting them and gradually it turned into public humiliation and physical violence,” Kuldeep Kumar, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station, said. “The incident was recorded on mobile phones and later made public. The arrested woman had also filmed the incident, and the viral video is now part of the investigation.”
Shubham Tigga is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, presently based in Pune, where he covers the intersections of infrastructure, labor, and the modern economy. His reporting focuses on civil aviation, urban mobility, the gig economy, and workers' unions, providing critical insights into how transit and commercial sectors impact the daily lives of citizens. Expertise & Background Before moving to Pune, he reported extensively from his home state of Chhattisgarh, where he focused on Indigenous (Adivasi) issues, environmental justice, and grassroots struggles in mainland India. This experience gives him a unique lens through which he analyzes the impact of large-scale infrastructure projects on local communities. Academic Foundation He is an alumnus of the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), where he honed his skills in investigative reporting and ethical journalism. His academic training, combined with his field experience in Central India, allows him to navigate complex socio-economic landscapes with nuance and accuracy. You can reach out to him on LinkedIn ... Read More
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