A 36-year-old woman committed suicide on Monday night after a caste panchayat in Madhya Pradesh declared her 'characterless' and imposed a fine of Rs 5000 for allegedly having an extra-marital affair with a Dalit man.
According to Hindustan Times report, the mother of four was found hanging from a ceiling fan at her residence in Bajarua Khari village in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh.
The woman took the extreme step while her husband was holding a liquor party outside the house at the orders of the caste panchayat.
As punishment, members of the caste panchayat had ordered the family to bathe in Ganga for 'purification', pay a fine of Rs 5,000 and hold a liquor party for around 30 residents of the village to atone for her 'sin'.
Assuming the punishment was not too harsh for her, the panchayat also instructed her to roll all the way to the Kundeshwar Shiva temple, located 12 km from the village, for forgiveness.
The matter was raised in the village panchayat after a few villagers accused the woman of entering into an illicit relationship with her husband, Rakesh's, co-worker, a Dalit youth from another village in the district.
Some panchayat members even suggested stripping her half-naked but were overruled by others, said the deceased's nephew.
Tikamgarh Dehat police station assistant sub inspector Bhagwat Singh Rathore told HT, “A case has been lodged under Section 174 of the CrPc. We’re waiting for the deceased woman’s husband to narrate the matter to the police, after which a case of abetment of suicide will be lodged against Dhaniram and the caste panchayat members.”
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A woman commits suicide after Panchayat pronounces her 'characterless' and imposes Rs 5000 fine on her in Tikamgarh (Madhya Pradesh).
— ANI (@ANI_news) March 16, 2016
According to Hindustan Times report, the mother of four was found hanging from a ceiling fan at her residence in Bajarua Khari village in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh.
The woman took the extreme step while her husband was holding a liquor party outside the house at the orders of the caste panchayat.
As punishment, members of the caste panchayat had ordered the family to bathe in Ganga for 'purification', pay a fine of Rs 5,000 and hold a liquor party for around 30 residents of the village to atone for her 'sin'.
Assuming the punishment was not too harsh for her, the panchayat also instructed her to roll all the way to the Kundeshwar Shiva temple, located 12 km from the village, for forgiveness.
The matter was raised in the village panchayat after a few villagers accused the woman of entering into an illicit relationship with her husband, Rakesh's, co-worker, a Dalit youth from another village in the district.
Some panchayat members even suggested stripping her half-naked but were overruled by others, said the deceased's nephew.
Tikamgarh Dehat police station assistant sub inspector Bhagwat Singh Rathore told HT, “A case has been lodged under Section 174 of the CrPc. We’re waiting for the deceased woman’s husband to narrate the matter to the police, after which a case of abetment of suicide will be lodged against Dhaniram and the caste panchayat members.”
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