The Assam Police on Saturday arrested 19 people for assaulting and stripping a woman and stuffing her genitals with chilli powder in Karimganj on September 10, reports said. The woman had lodged a complaint at the Karimganj Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court on Thursday after a purported video of the crime went viral on social media, NorthEast Now reported.

Karimganj Superintendent of Police Gaurav Upadhyay said they were investigating the motive for the crime. The accused reportedly attacked the woman for allegedly selling illegal alcohol and indulging in what they called “immoral activities”. The woman did not name any of the accused, who she alleged warned her against reporting the crime.

The woman and the accused are reportedly from the same village. “Besides the attackers, police will also take action under the Information Technology Act against those who recorded the video and circulated it on the social media,” NorthEast Now quoted Upadhyay as saying.

She told the court that the accused attacked her after she refused to give them the Rs 85,000 that she had received under the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana scheme.

Upadhyay told The Hindu that they will make more arrests soon.