40 members of a family in Odisha’s Rayagada district were forced to shave their heads as part of a so-called ‘purification’ ritual after a young woman from the family married a man from another caste.

The incident took place in Baiganguda village, located in the Kashipur block of Rayagada. The woman, who belongs to a Scheduled Tribe (ST), recently married a man from a Scheduled Caste (SC) community from a nearby village.

Her decision to go against the village elders’ expectations and marry outside her caste reportedly angered several villagers. As a result, her entire family was socially boycotted by the community.

According to local reports, the villagers demanded that the woman’s family must perform a ‘purification’ ritual if they wanted to be accepted back into the social circle. The ritual involved shaving the heads of all 40 family members, an act carried out under pressure.

The family allegedly had no choice but to follow the instructions, as they were threatened with indefinite isolation if they refused.

So far, no FIR has been filed in connection with the incident. Authorities have not made any arrests, and the matter remains without legal action at this point.

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