LUCKNOW: In Bacheda village of Jhansi district in the Bundelkhand region of UP, a lady constable, Yadav by caste and posted in Lucknow, landed in a soup as she married her childhood friend, an inspector from the Patel community.
Although both families supported the union and solemnised the marriage on April 30, it was rejected by the villagers due to the inter-caste relationship.
The villagers were so enraged over the marriage that a village panchayat was called on May 13, and it declared the inter-caste marriage unacceptable.
In a closed-door meeting, the village elders, including village head, imposed a hefty fine of Rs 20 lakh on the woman’s family, accusing them of defying social norms.
It was also decided that anyone who would speak or transact with the girl’s family would be fined Rs 50,000.
As a result of the social boycott of the family following the panchayat’s decree, the woman’s parents, who run a small dairy business, said it had come to a standstill. The villagers have stopped all interaction with the family, and not a single customer has turned up since then. Their milk remains unsold, and basic social ties have suffered a blow.
Meanwhile, the mother of the lady constable said the fine amount was far beyond their means. “We were also warned about an interest of Rs 3 per day. We are poor people. How can we pay Rs 20 lakh? Our daughter is married and happy—what wrong have we done?” she asked.
After the May 13 diktat, the family approached the local police for help. However, instead of filing a case, the police allegedly tried to pacify them and sent them back. Their concerns remained unaddressed for weeks despite continued harassment.
On June 9, the constable’s father Chiranjilal Yadav attended Garotha Samadhan Diwas at the district police office to seek justice. After waiting for long, he managed to meet senior officials and narrated the entire ordeal with folded hands.
On hearing the complaint, SSP BBGTS Murthy took serious note of the incident summoning the Todifatehpur station in-charge and ordered a full report. A case has now been registered against Santosh Yadav, the village head’s father and others involved in enforcing the boycott and issuing threats.