Rajasthan Man Alleges ‘Social Boycott’ By Village Panchayat In Udaipur After Land Dispute

Udaipur: A village panchayat in the Ogna village of Udaipur, Rajasthan, allegedly issued a decree against a man, asking villagers to “socially boycott” him and his family.

The victim, namely Ratanlal Patel, said the decree was issued following a land dispute, warning anyone violating the boycott would be fined. “Some villagers formally documented the decision on paper and circulated it across the village,” he said.

The incident took place on December 24, and the victim filed a written complaint at the Ogna Police Station on December 26, but Patel alleged that no action had been taken so far.

Following this, he approached the district collectorate and submitted a memorandum to the district collector and the district superintendent of police, detailing his ordeal.

Patel said that the decree was issued by the panchayat after some villagers objected to him constructing a boundary wall in the village, calling it an attempt to illegally occupy grazing land.

“Following the protests, I immediately stopped the construction. But, despite this, some villagers beat drums and called the Panchayat, which issued a decree to cut off all relations with me,” he said.

Station House Officer (SHO) Ogna Police Station Ram Avtar said police received information about a land dispute. “Both parties were summoned and bound over, but no case of social boycott or ostracism has come to his notice,” he said.

The victim, however, claimed that the alleged boycott has caused severe distress to him and his family. “After some villagers learned about my police complaint, those who had boycotted me threatened to kill him. My family has been in shock since the threats,” Patel said.

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