Ranchi: A strange case has come to light from Saraikela district in Jharkhand. In Palasdih village of Sitarampur (RIT police station area), a panchayat decided to send a married woman with her lover – all in front of her husband. The lover was also fined Rs 1 lakh as part of the settlement. The villagers even stopped the police from interfering, calling it a “social issue.”
The incident took place on Monday night when a young man from Chilgu Panchayat in Chandil and his friend came to Palasdih in a car to meet the woman, who is already married. While they were trying to take her with them, the villagers caught all three – the woman, her boyfriend and his friend. They tied up the two men and even beat them. Later, they were all taken into custody by the villagers.
Soon after, RIT police station in-charge Vinay Kumar Singh and SDPO Sameer Kumar Sawaiya reached the spot with their team. They tried to intervene but were stopped by the villagers, who said it was a matter of social customs and would be resolved by the village itself. The police stayed nearby to maintain peace but did not interfere further due to local resistance.
The next morning, a gram sabha was called. This wasn’t just any meeting – it involved people from three villages: the woman’s in-laws, her own family, and her lover’s village. The panchayat meeting continued for several hours, from morning till evening.
Finally, a decision was reached. The woman was divorced on the spot and allowed to leave with her lover. But as a condition, the lover had to pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh to the woman’s in-laws. The husband, who was present during the entire process, had no choice but to accept the decision.
