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Sarpanch, one other gets 3.5-yr jail for blackening Dalit man’s face
The court had on Friday convicted the then sarpanch Raju and the girl’s father under various sections of SC/ST Act. Thirteen others were acquitted in the case due to lack of evidence
: A special court in Hisar on Monday awarded three-and-a-half year jail to a former sarpanch of Samain Puthi village and another person for blackening the face of a Dalit man, who had eloped with an upper caste girl 11 years ago.
The court also imposed a fine of ₹35,000 on the duo.
The court had on Friday convicted the then sarpanch Raju and the girl’s father under various sections of SC/ST Act. Thirteen others were acquitted in the case due to lack of evidence.
The victim’s lawyer Rajat Kalsan said the man had befriended a girl of the same village in Hisar.
“After coming to know of their relationship, a panchayat was called on June 1, 2012, at Samain Puthi village. The panchayat members imposed a fine of ₹11,000 on the Dalit man for eloping with the girl and told the man to leave the village for 11 years. They also blackened his face and paraded him in the village,” Kalsan said.
He further said the man had approached the Narnaund police following which 15 persons were booked.
“When the police had gone to arrest the accused, the villagers pelted them with stones. Police have submitted the challans before the court,” Kalsan added.
