MP: Dalit family 'banished' by panchayat

A Dalit family from Madhya Pradesh's Tikamgarh claimed that they have been banished from their village, Sarkanpur, by the panchayat for two years.

A family member told ANI that they were banished after a scuffle took place between their daughter-in-law and others over the issue of fetching water from the well.

"Panchayat has banished us from the village for two years. They stopped our ration, our children were expelled from school, doctors were stopped from giving treatment to us and shopkeepers also do not sell anything to us," said Poonam, a member of the same family.

Taking cognisance of the matter, Tikamgarh Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Surendra Kumar Jain handed over the investigation to the Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) and ensured that action will be taken after examining the inquiry report.