Village elders from Meghalaya imposed a fine of Rs 3,000 on a woman from North Garo Hills after her ex-boyfriend uploaded her semi-nude content on the web. She was then told to pay up Rs 1,500 to a local club to ‘atone for the sins’.

A complaint was soon filed by the victim with the local police on 30 August. News 18’s report shows her writing, “During my relationship with him, he had taken an obscene video of mine without my knowledge. On learning about it, I told him to delete it but he didn’t do so,” the complaint stated according to the Mendipathar police station. An accused, namely Mansrang Sangma of Gairong village has been arrested by the police.

When she resisted her ex-boyfriend from uploading the images, he went on to threaten her further by informing her that he would circulate it ‘even more’.

According to the Civil Society Women’s Organisation (CWSO) based in Shillong, the victim was asked to appear at a community meeting on 6 September, and pay the penalty imposed.

Speaking to The New Indian Express, president Agnes Kharshiing of CSWO said, “The next morning, the Dainadubi Mothers’ Union summoned the victim at the PJAC Hall, blaming her for the video going viral and also on her filing the FIR against the person circulating her video. The woman trusted the man and he has no right to spread such video.”