Panchayat orders nose of Dalit ‘rape victim’ chopped off

Barmer: A caste panchayat (municipal) in a Barmer village in Rajasthan ordered that the nose of an alleged Dalit rape victim be chopped off, reportedly at the behest of the suspect. The victim on Monday met the district’s superintendent of police and sought police protection from the villagers and the suspect, who happens to be her father-in-law. Caste panchayats are groups of village elders that pass dictates on disputes among members of their caste.

According to officials, the woman said her father-in-law had been harassing her since she got married recently before he allegedly raped her in September. She had at the time complained to the police after which the suspect was arrested and imprisoned for trial. After he was released on bail four days back, the father-in-law organised the caste panchayat that decided to maim her, the complainant claimed.

Members of the panchayat had attempted to attack her on December 19 but she hid in her maternal home and her father covered up for her, the woman said, adding that his family has since been threatened with dire consequences. Dhorimanna police station in-charge Devichand Dhaka confirmed that they got the direction from the SP office and investigations had begun.