Snatched child still not restored to parents

Karnal, Sep 2 (UNI) The young couple of the Balmiki community whose six day old child was snatched away by the Panchayat of Katalkheri village in the district yesterday, have so far only got assurance from the administration, which has failed to restore the child to its grief-stricken parents.

In a case of high-handedness, the Panchayat had snatched away the baby from the lap of the mother, Kavita who had dared to tie the knot with Pawan, a member of the same 'gotra'. Since the panchayat was against their alliance, the couple had fled to Mumbai after their marriage last year. After a year when they returned to the village Kavita was pregnant and this made the village elders furious.

When she gave birth to a boy recently, the village panchayat not only snatched the infant away, but also slapped a fine of Rs 65,000 on Pawan's family and decreed that the husband and wife would henceforth live separately.

District officials, when contacted today said that Pawan had been provided security and was at Nissing police station.

SDM R K Singh, ASP Jagjit Hooda and DSP Pradeep Chaudhary, along with Pawan left for Katalkheri to hold discussions on the matter.

The child is believed to have been handed over to a couple in Karnal by the panchayat. Officials said that a criminal case could be registered against certain members of the panchayat.

Pawan, who is now living in constant fear, had said yesterday that he might go away from the village but his family would not be spared. They would die under the burden of insults and insinuations, he had said.

Neelam, a member of NGO Suraksha Samiti, that had taken up the cause of the couple, said that in Haryana panchayats were considered paramount. ''Most of the time, they force the close relatives to do away with those who have acted against their diktats'', she added.

She alleged that the administration, buckling under political pressure, did not act the way as they should have in such cases.

UNI