Women's rights activist Trupti Desai on Wednesday thrashed a man for allegedly backing out of a promise to marry a woman with whom he was in a relationship. Desai and fellow Bhumata Brigade members beat up Srikant Londhe in public with slippers at the Pune-Ahmednagar Road near Shirwal, 100 km from Pune, Hindustan Times reported.

Desai said Londhe had sexually exploited the woman after he promised to marry her. After she got pregnant, he said he would marry her if she got an abortion, but he went back on his word again after the woman terminated her pregnancy. "We have taught him a lesson as he was deceiving two other women with same promises. I had no option but to take the law in my hands as the affected woman had initially gone to police who failed to act," said Desai.

A video in which the activist can be seen beating the man went viral. Many called the act a stunt, criticising Desai for it.