UDAIPUR: The Shambupura police on Sunday arrested 11 members of a Chittorgarh khap panchayat. The panchayat had ordered the boycott of an elderly man and his family for 12 years on September 30.
The senior citizen had opposed criminal practices in the community such as child marriages and rituals like ‘mausar’ or ‘mrityubhoj’ (feast held on the death of a family member).
The Shambupura police arrested 11 persons in connection with the arbitrary order issued against Shivlal, son of Dalla Dangi, a resident of Satkhanda, Nimbahera tehsil. The complainant, a 65-year-old man, said that the panchayat had held a meeting of its members to find out about their opinion on the continuation of age-old practices such as child marriages and mourning feast in the community in July which he had opposed strongly.
Senior panchayat members warned Shivlal that whoever opposed the community decision would have to pay a heavy price.
Two months later, they passed a ‘Hukka Pani’ bandh diktat against Shivlal and his family.
They also imposed a fine of Rs 1.10 lakh against those who socially interacted with him and his family. The victim filed an FIR on October 3 against some 18 members of the panchayat.
"Eleven of them, including Shantilal, Bhanvarlal, Heeralal, Varda, Heeralal Bherulal, Bhagwanlal, Pyarchand and Ramchandra, have been arrested during the course of investigation," said Shambhupura SHO Kailash Chandra Soni.