Haryana Panchayat Warned After Man Attempts Suicide (lead)

[TheSuperbell]

Jhajjar (Haryana), July 17 (IANS) Haryana’s Jhajjar district authorities Friday warned a village ‘panchayat’ (council) not to take law into its hands after a young man attempted suicide following the council’s diktat for social boycott of him and his family for marrying a girl from the same clan.

“The administration will provide full protection to the affected family of ‘gotra’ (clan) conflict of village Dharana as the village panchayat has ordered Ravinder’s family to leave the village,” Jhajjar’s officiating Deputy Commissioner Saket Kumar said.

He said that officials, including a duty magistrate, have been appointed to take stock of the situation.

“Nobody would be allowed to take law into their hands and destroy the peaceful environment of the village. Strict action would be taken against those who try to do this,” he added.

Ravinder Singh, 24, Friday allegedly attempted suicide by consuming poison after the village ‘panchayat’ ordered his and his family’s social boycott for marrying a girl of the same clan though from another village, police said.

He consumed poison in Dharana village in Jhajjar district after he was told by the panchayat to either divorce the girl or dispose of his property and leave the village by Sunday.

The panchayat also pronounced a hefty fine on anyone interacting with Singh or his family.

“Although his condition is stable, he is not in a position to give his statement. We have started our investigation but are waiting to get his version recorded. Doctors have kept him under observation,” said a police official. Singh has been admitted to a hospital in Rohtak town.

The victim, who works in Delhi with a transport company, married Shilpa of Siwah village near Panipat town, about four months back.

His village panchayat (council) was against the marriage as it said the couple from the same gotra (clan) cannot be married.

Representatives from Singh’s village even went to Shilpa’s village Thursday to persuade her family for a mutual divorce.

However, the girl’s family declined.

Lalchand, grandfather of Shilpa, said: “We are totally against this divorce as it would destroy our daughter’s life. The groom’s family was well aware about our gotra before the marriage and we had not kept anybody in the dark (about it). Rather they should try and convince their panchayat.”

A member of Singh’s family said: “We had also approached the local police and demanded security from them. But they did not pay any heed to our pleas. Ravinder was under depression since yesterday (Thursday).”

Village councils in Haryana, particularly the ‘khap’ (caste) councils are notorious for illegal verdicts against individuals getting married in the same clan. In recent years, such couples have been hounded out of villages, attacked and in some cases even killed, at the behest of village councils.

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