Couple stripped naked and beaten as punishment for secret marriage

This shocking video shows a young couple in India being stripped naked and physically assaulted by 18 villagers after they married in secret.



The humiliating incident happened in Shambhupura village in the Banswara District in south Rajasthan.



They were targeted after they married without their family's consent.



Kachru, 21, and Monica, 19, had been in a secret relationship for two years before they finally got married and fled to Gujarat.



But when Monica's parents found out they tracked down the young couple and forced them to return to the village.



There, they were reported to the village head.



Shambhupura is a predominantly tribal village with most people there belonging to the Bhil community.



The girl's family had allegedly already sold her for Rs 75,000 (£905) and were paid Rs 5,000 (£60) in advance for her to marry another man in a neighboring village.



After being sent back, the village head ordered them to be stripped and paraded naked.



In the humiliating clip, one man is seen grabbing the young girl aggressively sat naked on the ground.



Officer Ravinder Kumar Singh, the station house officer at Kalinjra Police Station, confirmed the girl's parents were forcing her to marry someone else.



He said: 'When Monica told her parents about her relationship she was being forced by her parents to marry another boy. The couple tried to flee to Gujarat to escape the wrath of their families. But their relatives caught them and brought them back to the village after which this incident happened.'



He added: 'We're investigating the case and 18 people have been arrested so far. And they include family members of the couple, members of the panchayat and other villagers. We are also searching for the person who made the video and posted it online.'



The 18 people arrested have had cases registered against them under sections 307 (Attempt to murder), and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.



Officer Singh said Kachru sustained severe injuries in the attack and was taken to hospital for treatment.



Police have provided Monica with police protection and she is currently being kept in a safe house.