Krishnagar, March 27: Residents of a Nadia village branded a woman a prostitute, cropped her hair, thrashed her and virtually paraded her without clothes last night.

Her husband, a resident of Phulbari village, took her to the Krishnagunj police station this morning to lodge a complaint.

Ganesh Sikdar, who led the mob that included many women, has been arrested. Police said most of the others have fled the village, around 120 km from Calcutta. “No one will be spared,” superintendent H.K. Kusumakar said.

The 30-year-old woman said some villagers accused her of working as a prostitute. “About 15 of them stormed into our house last night and dragged me out. They slapped me and kicked me in front of my son. Then they forced me to sit as one of them cropped my hair... they tore off my sari and made me walk on the streets.”

Her husband, a labourer, said she could have been misunderstood because of her extrovert nature.