Members of Dalit community facing social boycott in Haryana village move SC

Dalit community members from a Haryana village have knocked the doors of the Supreme Court against the "social boycott" they are facing for over two years due to a dispute with the "dominant" community over drawing water from a hand-pump.

Terming the issue as "serious", the apex court on Tuesday said it is a matter related to social boycott and atrocity and the police have to take action.

"There are allegations about social boycott and atrocity. Police have to look into it. This is a serious matter," a bench of justices N V Ramana, R Subhash Reddy and B R Gavai told the counsel appearing for Haryana government.

The bench told the counsel that it has called for his presence in the case so that he can take proper instruction from the authorities concerned.

The top court asked the state counsel to call a senior police officer associated with the case on November 8 and also file a status report in the matter.

The bench was hearing a petition which has raised the issue of social boycott of Dalit community in a village in Haryana's Hisar district from July 2, 2017.

The plea has sought a direction to the CBI to take over the probe and prosecute those against whom complaints have been filed with the police alleging that not even a single person has been arrested so far.

It has also sought a direction to the Haryana government to "immediately put an end to the social boycott imposed by the dominant community since July 2, 2017, inter alia, and punish all those responsible for the social boycott by imposition of a collective fine on the dominant community...."