Panchayat parades woman on buffalo

Cruel intentions

In a shocking incident, an old dalit woman was allegedly half stripped, her face blackened and forced to sit on a buffalo and paraded in streets of the village on the order of the panchayat in UP’s Bulandshahar district, about 450 km from here.

The alleged crime of the hapless old woman, Chandravati was, that she and her son had helped another woman of the same village in eloping with a man a few days back, according to reports.

The panchayat not only ordered that the faces of the woman and her son be blackened and they be taken through the streets of the village on a buffalo but it also directed that the duo be socially boycotted.

The old woman was allegedly half stripped and hers and her son’s faces were painted black, reports said.

“The panchayat said that a fine of Rs 50,000 will be imposed on any one found speaking to Chandravati and her son,” alleged Chandravati’s other son Bablu.

According to police sources, a woman identified as Kshama had eloped from from the village a few days back and it was alleged by some that Chandravati and her son had helped her. On Thursday, a panchayat was convened in the village, which deliberated on the matter for five hours before pronouncing its order.

Incidently, the village chowkidar Murari Valmiki was also present at the meeting of the panchayat when its diktat was announced but he did not bother to inform the police.  
Acting swiftly however, the police registered a case against 23 people and arrested seven people in this regard, including the chowkidar and a hunt has been launched to nab the other culprits.