Odisha: Dalit woman paraded wearing garland of shoes for failing to repay ₹2,000 loan, video goes viral

Dalit woman treated inhumanly for not repaying a loan of ₹2,000, video goes viral on social media.
Published on: 30 Aug 2025, 2:28 pm
A shocking incident has come to light from Odisha’s Angul district, where a Dalit woman had to face inhuman humiliation for not being able to repay a small loan of ₹ 2,000. In the video that went viral on social media, it can be seen that the woman’s face was smeared with soot and she was paraded around the village with a garland of slippers around her neck.
According to local sources , the woman had borrowed the money from a village committee. But when she failed to pay it back, some women from the village allegedly set up a “kangaroo court” and decided to punish her.
The victim had lodged a written complaint at the Handapa police station on August 14. However, the villagers allege that the police, the local administration and some influential people of the community tried to suppress the case. A villager said, “Despite such a serious crime, no immediate action was taken.”
Due to the constant fear of danger, the woman has left the village and gone somewhere else. Some people say that she may have been pressured to keep quiet.
This matter came to light when the video of the incident spread rapidly on social media. After this, civil society organizations and human rights activists have demanded strict action against the culprits. At the same time, questions are also being raised on the role of the police.
At present, the official response of Angul district administration and police is awaited.