Khap panchayat diktat: Give Rs 1 cr penalty or face boycott by villagers

Jaipur, July 19 (IANS) In an autocratic decree allegedly issued by a 'khap panchayat', a penalty of Rs one crore has been imposed on a family in Sawai Madhopur's Sikroli village in Rajasthan.Also a penalty of Rs 51,000 has been announced for anybody helping the family or selling grocery or any other products to the family.The victim Jitendra's family, after being harassed and tormented, submitted a plea in court and registered a complaint against 28 'panches' in Bamanwas police station on July 12.Two persons, namely Mahesh and Jitendra, had invested in a property which went into loss during the pandemic. Mahesh committed suicide due to this and his wife lodged a case against Jitendra for abetting his suicide. However, Jitendra later got bail in the matter. Thereafter, Mahesh's wife called a panchayat and demanded compensation.A total of 28 panches on her request ordered Jitendra's father and mother namely Ramswaroop and Kailash Devi to pay compensation of Rs 1 crore to Mahesh's wife and asked the villagers to boycott the family. No shopkeeper was allowed to sell any product to the family and anybody found talking to or helping the family was directed to pay a penalty of Rs 51,000.Jitendra alleged that despite lodging a police case, no action has been taken against the panches.However, Bamanwas SHO Brijesh Meena said a probe is on in the case and action will be taken once the investigation is over.
--IANS arc/kr