10 booked for social boycott of 26-year-old Kolhapur man

PUNE: The Pimpri Chinchwad police on July 17 booked 10 persons on the charge of socially boycotting a 26-year-old man from their community.
The complainant, who is from Kolhapur district, had filed a case with the Bhosari MIDC police. The suspects, including members of the ‘Jaat Panchayat,’ have been booked under the relevant sections of the Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act.
An officer said the complainant had got married to a woman from Moshi in 2019. His wife returned to Moshi following a domestic spat. “In February this year, the complainant’s in-laws called him to Moshi to solve the issue through discussions.”
“According to the complaint, his in-laws took the issue to the ‘Jaat Panchayat’,” he said.
The complainant stated that the members told him to pay some amount to start the discussions. When he did not pay, his in-laws did, earning a verdict in their favour. When the complainant refused to pay the fine of Rs15 lakh, he was socially boycotted, he said.