SC intervenes into Khap panchayat's rape order of two UP sisters, seeks report from Akhilesh govt

Lucknow: In a bizarre ruling, the all-male Khap Panchayat in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh has ordered to rape a 23-year-old woman and her 15-year-old minor sister, in order to punish them for their brother's mistake.

The village council, locally known as Khap Panchayat, is dominated by upper caste 'Jat' men had passed the diktat against the 'Dalit' sisters on July 30.

The Panchayat has also issued something more to their diktat - so harsh - that every villager should learn a lesson from it.

The unelected council has asked to blacken the faces of the sisters, who belong to the low Dalit caste, and parade them naked in the village, as per Catch news.

All this has been ordered for the Dalit girls just because their brother eloped with a married woman of the Jat community.

But, as soon as they came to know about this order, the sisters along with the whole family fled the village seeking help.

Later, Meena (name changed) moved the Supreme Court, seeking protection for herself and her family.

Taking cognizance of the case, Supreme Court has asked the UP government to present its report on September 14, when the case is due for hearing.

Meanwhile, a petition to save the two sisters has gathered considerable support for its demand that authorities intervene and stop the “disgusting ruling” from being enforced.

The petition by human-rights organization Amnesty International has garnered over 16,000 signatures thus far, and calls for law enforcement to stop the UP Khap Panchayat's diktat.

Members of British Parliament have also appealed to their government to discuss the matter with Indian authorities to prevent public humiliation of two girls.