Khap panchayat's diktat: Rape sisters to avenge their brother's action

Ghaziabad: Khap Panchayat is once again in news for wrong reasons. A young Dalit woman has moved the Supreme Court against a Khap Panchayat in Uttar Pradesh for issuing diktat that she and her sister be raped and paraded naked in their village as revenge for their brother’s action of eloping with a married girl from the Jat community.

The 23-year-old Dalit girl from Bhagpat district in her petition to the SC has sought protection for her and her family.

According to the girl, her brother Ravi and a Jat girl were in love but were forcefully separated after the girl's family married her off to someone else in February. The girl later escaped from in-laws home and eloped with Ravi on March 22. Though the boy and the girl had surrendered after Ravi's family was allegedly tortured by police and members of the Jat community, the Khap panchayat decided that the boy's family should be dishonoured to avenge the brother's deed.

The girl in her complaint to the Apex court has also mentioned that their family home in the village was ransacked and taken over by the Jat community members following which they escaped to Delhi.

According to reports, the court has now issued notice to UP government seeking its response in the matter within two weeks.