A disturbing video from Mandsaur has gone viral, capturing the moment a young woman was forcibly dragged away by her relatives while she was participating in a Garba event on Saturday night.
The shocking visuals, widely shared on social media, show a group of men and women pulling the woman out of the venue as onlookers watched in panic. The dramatic abduction, reportedly carried out in full public view, sparked widespread outrage both online and in the community.
According to eyewitness accounts, the woman had moved to Mandsaur from Rajasthan a few months ago with a male companion. Sources told NDTV that she was already married but had chosen to live away from her husband and family, a decision that allegedly angered her relatives.
On the night of the incident, her family stormed the Bhavsar Dharamshala, where the Garba was being held, and dragged her away. Witnesses claimed one of the accused even brandished what appeared to be a pistol to intimidate bystanders.
Police acted swiftly after receiving a Dial 112 alert. Superintendent of Police Vinod Meena confirmed that four teams were immediately deployed, and all exit points were sealed. "We had information that the woman was forced into a white Omni van. The vehicle was intercepted under Thana Shamgarh jurisdiction, and the victim was rescued. All seven accused were detained and later produced in court," Meena told PTI.
Within two hours of the abduction, officers arrested all seven suspects, including one woman, and recovered the victim. A toy pistol and the van used in the crime were also seized.
Inspector Pushpendra Singh Rathore later revealed that the incident stemmed from a family dispute. "The woman had been living separately from her husband due to his drinking problem and history of physical abuse. Further investigation is underway," Rathore said.
The swift action by police has been widely noted, but the shocking scenes have raised uncomfortable questions: how safe are women when family honour clashes with individual choice?