Andhra Pradesh: Village elder beat up girl with sticks for eloping

A video is going viral in which a young couple is being beaten up with sticks by the village elders. The incident from Anantpur district of Andhra Pradesh.

The girl, who is a minor allegedly ran away with her cousin in order to get married. The couple was brought in front of the village elders where they were warned against having any relationship.

In the video, the boy was sitting on the ground surrounded by the village elders, who were questioning the girl before him. The girl gives an answer which upsets the person who was questioning and started beating her in front of the village. The boy couldn’t do anything to save her from the assault. The villager first assaults her with bare hands and later with sticks.

According to a report in NDTV, Anantpur district police chief said that no one was coming forward to lodge a complaint, not even the victim’s parents. “They say the elder intervened on their behalf and so they are not willing to complain,” said Anantpur district police chief B Yesubabu.

A woman constable has been sent to the village to check on the girl and to check if the girl wants to file a complaint. If she says that she had a physical relationship with the boy, the boy could be filed under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences or POCSO.

If the complaint is not filed, the police may file a case under Prevention of SC/ST Atrocities Act.

"It is a cognisable offence. In such cases, no one can take the law into their hands. They must counsel the youngsters, not behave like moral police. What is shocking is so many villagers were a mute witness when a child was badly beaten up," said Child Right activist, Achyutha Rao.