A single citizen’s rumor compelled Rama to exile his own wife

Evidence

A washerman in the city is overheard saying he would not take back his wife if she had spent a single night in another man’s house — let alone ten months. The rumor reaches Rama. Rama, who is now king, decides he must put Sita aside for the good of the kingdom — even though he believes in her purity. — , A Year of World Stories, 6812

Categorization

• QUESTION: The claim that one washerman’s opinion outweighs the king’s own belief in his wife’s purity is worth chasing — how do commentators justify this as dharma?