Family accuses Jaat Panchayat of extortion

A case of extortion has been registered against 16 members of a 'Jaat Panchayat' in Yawat, 40 km from here, after a family which was ostracized a year ago alleged that the Panchayat demanded Rs three lakh to lift the social boycot.
The family, which belongs to 'Deulwale' community, was allegedly excommunicated by the Panchyat after it opposed the custom of marrying off the girls in the community while they are minor.
The family members were not allowed to participate in marriages, funerals, etc., within the community, district police said.
At a recent meeting of the Jaat Panchayat, the family was summoned and a demand of Rs three lakh was made with the promise to take them back in the community's fold.

As per the complaint, the Panchayat threatened to tonsure heads of members of the family and parade them on donkeys if they didn't pay Rs three lakh.
Similar demand was made on another ostracised family.

"We have registered a case against all 16 members of the Panchayat for extortion, intimidation and threatening under the IPC," said a local police officer.
Members of Maharashtra Andha-shraddha Nirmoolan Samiti, (superstition eradication committee), founded by the slain rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, helped the family lodge the complaint.
"They were scared, but we offered them support and got the case registered," said Avinash Deshmukh of MANS.

MANS has been pressing the Maharashtra government for long to enact a law to end the menace of Jaat Panchayats.