The all-powerful khap panchayat in Haryana yet again played both the court and the police by letting off an alleged molester after he apologised to the woman’s family in public in Hisar’s Hansi district, sources said on Sunday.
Police too did not take cognisance of the incident since the panchayat members said the matter had been resolved after the apology. As a ‘punishment’, the panchayat asked the alleged molester Nand Kishore Singla, a local trader, to go down on his knees and rub his nose on the ground before the elders of the girl’s father.
Sources said 28-year-old married woman from Jamawari village had gone to the market with her brother to buy food for animals when Singla allegedly molested her. The trader fled once people gathered around. Later, he was summoned to the police station.
The khap panchayat intervened and convened a meeting where he apologised in public in an attempt to prevent the matter from escalating. Police have so far not registered a case in this connection.
Khap leader Sundar Singh said the woman had complained to her family that Singla had tried to misbehave with her.
Tendering an apology, the trader touched the feet of victim’s grandfather in front of everyone. He said he would never do this.
According to police, cases of khaps taking the law in their hands are common in these parts. Police said though they try their best to avoid this from happening, the khaps do not pay heed to them. A senior police officer said khaps are a political force, and hence the authorities take time to respond to public complaints against khaps.
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