Khap retracts fatwa under duress

Khap panchayat members at Sikandarpur Kakodi village in Ghaziabad retracted their demand of social boycott of a married couple of the same gotra (clan) on Saturday, after police officials bound down 22 Panchayat members to create a deterrent against their ruling.

Khap panchayat members at Sikandarpur Kakodi village in Ghaziabad retracted their demand of social boycott of a married couple of the same gotra (clan) on Saturday, after police officials bound down 22 Panchayat members to create a deterrent against their ruling.

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For the past week, panchayat was meeting at the village to oppose the marriage of Sheetal Singh (21) and Sudhir Singh (24), both belonging to the Jat community, who wed each other in February 2009.

The couple is in Delhi at an undisclosed location, Ghaziabad SSP Raghubir Lal said.

A delegation of Jat leaders and Panchayat members held discussions with senior police officials on Saturday and expressed their willingness to allow the married couple to live as per their wishes.

Earlier, panchayat members had threatened the couple and their family with social boycott and had asked them to leave the village or face consequences, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Raghubir Lal said.

“The couple is free to live either in the village or at any place they like. No one would pressurise them,” said Yashpal Malik, a Jat leader from western UP. “However, we oppose same gotra marriages.”

Village head Devender Singh Jakhad told HT the couple would not be in any danger.

Two days back, the police had bound down 22 panchayat members with an amount of Rs 50000 to Rs. 100000 under CrPC.