A 45-year-old woman was allegedly ostracised and her head was tonsured on the diktat of a kangaroo court for reportedly resisting her husband during a fight between them.

Police on Sunday arrested four persons, including the husband, following a complaint by the victim’s son.

The incident took place at Raut Bahal village in Jharsuguda district, a part of western Odisha, on August 9. It came to light after the son, who resides in Tamil Nadu, rushed to the village and lodged a complaint with the police on Saturday.

The 26-year-old son, Niranjan Kisan, a tailor by profession, told The Telegraph: “My mother had a fight with my father, Mahendra Kisan, on August 8. During the heated argument, my mother accidentally hit my father while trying to oppose him. It was not intentional. Enraged over it, the next day, my father approached the elder members of our villages to punish my mother.”

After getting a complaint from the husband, the elders called a meeting at the kangaroo court. The kangaroo court passed an order to ostracise the woman and tonsure her head. It also directed the victim to give a mutton feast and also slapped a fine of ₹5,000.

Following the order, the woman was tonsured, and even the woman was forced to give a mutton feast to the members of the kangaroo court.

The son, who lives in Tamil Nadu, returned to the village after knowing about the incident. Niranjan said: “After learning about it, I rushed to my village and reached it on August 21. Not only was my mother tonsured, but she was also forced to give a mutton feast to the members of the kangaroo court.”

Enraged by the incident, Niranjan took her mother to the police station on August 24 and lodged a complaint against the kangaroo Court members.

Following the FIR, the police swung into action and arrested four persons, including the husband. “We have arrested people involved in the crime. Those arrested have been forwarded to the court. The victim’s husband has also been arrested. An investigation is on,” said Laikera police.