In a bizarre turn of events, a village panchayat in Greater Noida has ordered that all girls belonging to dalit communities would be “picked up” from their homes if Priyanka, a brahmin girl who had eloped with Sanjay, a dalit boy, did not return home immediately.
As a result of the panchayat diktat, dalits in the village have started fleeing and over two dozen families have already left the village.
“We are poor and cannot prevent the panchayat from carrying out its orders since this village is dominated by a brahmin population. To save the honor of our girls, we are leaving the village,” said a senior member of a dalit family.
According to reports reaching here, the incident took place in Daula village in Greater Noida. Sanjay and Priyanka eloped on June 24 and have remained untraceable ever since.
The two fell in love while they were studying in a college in Dadri, two years ago. The two completed their graduation from the college and started teaching in a private public school. They were sacked from the school when the school management came to know about their love affair and the opposition from their respective families.
The girl returned home but was living with her maternal uncle in Sehatpur while the boy went missing. On June 24, Priyanka also went missing and it was assumed that she had eloped with Sanjay.
On Sunday evening, Rajendra Sharma, father of the girl, convened a meeting of the panchayat at the house of Kanchi Jatav, father of the boy.
The boy’s father and brother were first held captive and pressurised to disclose the whereabouts of the couple. When the two refused to relent, the panchayat ordered that all dalit girls in the village would be “picked up” from their homes as a revenge of sorts since a dalit boy had lured away a brahmin girl.
The panchayat also issued shoot-at-sight orders against the couple.