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Panchayat ‘snatches’ baby of same-gotra couple
Ramandeep Singh
Tribune News Service

Their nightmare started soon after Kavita gave birth to a boy on August 21. Residents of the village, who belonged to the Bombak gotra, constituted a panchayat on August 26 and passed a diktat opposing their marriage on the grounds that both of them were of the same gotra and hence their marriage was invalid.

Pawan Kumar of Katalheri village, whose 10-day-old son was forcibly taken away by a community panchayat as he had married Kavita of the same gotra. — A Tribune photograph

The panchayat also ordered that the child should be taken away from them. On August 28, the child was taken away by Ranbir Singh Bombak.

When The Tribune team visited the village today, villagers said persons of the Bombak gotra belong to the Balmiki community and are a minority in the village. “We only came to know about this unpleasant development through newspapers,” said a villager.

All villagers, excluding the Bombaks, said this was an unfortunate incident and should not have happened. “A 10-day-old baby cannot survive without his mother,” said another villager.

Pawan’s mother Birmati and brother Panchayat ‘snatches’ baby of same-gotra couple

Kaku are shocked at the way they have been treated by their own people. “They even forced Kavita to tie rakhi on Pawan’s wrist,” Birmati said.

On asked where Kavita was, she said, “Kavita is with her maternal grandparents in a village in Bhiwani district.”

The whereabouts of the baby are not known. Reena, block coordinator, Utthan Shaksharata Samiti, feared that the child might have been sold off. While Pappu, a Bombak, said, “The child is being taken good care of and with a childless couple.” He added that Pawan and Kavita were not married.

The SHO of Nissing police station, under whose jurisdiction the village falls, was not available for comments. When The Tribune team visited the police station, DSP Pradeep Singh was having a meeting with Pawan and his father. But when they left, he refused to meet mediapersons.

Later, Pawan said the DSP had assured him that action would be taken against the guilty and his child would be recovered as soon as possible. “DC Karnal B. S. Malik has also promised that the administration will provide all possible help to us,” Pawan added.