A woman in the Cianjur regency of West Java was reportedly banished from her village after her neighbors found out about her polyandrous marriage with two men.
In a 27-second clip that recently circulated online, residents of Tanjungsari village in Sukaluyu district were seen tossing out the clothes belonging to the woman, who has been identified as 28-year-old NN. The residents were upset upon finding out that NN, who has been married to one man, went on to recently marry another man.
NN wasn’t physically harassed, though she received a lot of verbal abuse and was told to leave the village by her neighbors.
Aep Ibing, a respected figure in Tanjungsari village, said that NN is still the lawfully wedded wife of 49-year-old TS, but she secretly married the 32-year-old UA from a village in Karangtengah district. He said that the secret second marriage came to light after a relative of TS became suspicious after seeing NN regularly going to UA’s house.
“At first NN didn’t admit it, but then UA said that they were already married. That relative was surprised to hear that, because NN was still the legal wife of TS,” Aep said.
TS was notified of the news, and the three met in a mediation session where it was revealed that NN and UA were wed by an ustadz (cleric) in the latter’s village under a nikah siri arrangement five months prior. Nikah siri refers to marriage that is recognized by tradition and/or religious customs but not by the state.
On that occasion, NN admitted that she had made up some details about herself, including claiming that her parents had passed away and that she was widowed after she got divorced with TS two years ago, convincing UA to marry her. In actual fact, NN’s parents are still alive and she was still married to her first husband.
TS, who had been married to NN for 13 years and with whom he has two children, was disappointed upon hearing the news. He immediately announced his intention to divorce NN.
NN and her family left their village on Friday after the villagers kicked her out.
