Kangaroo court in Bengal punishes woman who had extra-marital affair, orders husband to cut off her hair

The Supreme Court of India has specifically declared such Khap Panchayats or kangaroo courts to be illegal.

Murshidabad, October 13: In what can be called an ever-increasing problem that India is facing, another illegal court has taken the law into its own hands. This time, the kangaroo court was situated in the Murshidabad district of Bengal. The kangaroo court which calls itself Shalishi Sabha in Bengal and is equivalent to Khap Panchayats pronounced its judgement for the case of an extra-marital affair by a woman.

The Kangaroo court directed the woman’s husband to cut off her hair as punishment for having an extra-marital affair. The judgement pronounced is not only wrong but wholly illegal as according to the Indian legal system, the woman committed no crime. The only criminal activity is the existence of the kangaroo court and its activities preventing the fundamental rights of citizens.The illegal court further asked the 32-year-old woman, who was accused by the Shalishi Sabha of Chandpur village in Nowda Police Station limits of having an extra-marital affair, along with her husband to pay Rs 6,000 to the Shalishi Sabha. The kangaroo court informed her that this was the ‘cost of honour’.

According to a source, “The couple could manage Rs 1,000 and pleaded the Shalishi Sabha to let them go. However, the kangaroo court refused to budge and demanded that the husband cut the hair of the accused woman if the Shalishi Sabha was not paid the demanded money. On Sunday, the Shalishi Sabha was called again and the husband was forced to cut the hair of his wife in full public glare.”

The woman along with her kin has lodged a FIR with the Nowda Police Station. Meanwhile, officials of the Nowda Police Station have briefed the media and said, “We nabbed two accused Imadul Sheikh and Liton Sheikh from within our police station limits.” However, the other five people involved in the criminal activity are at large. (ALSO READ: Haryana: Khap panchayat to hold talks with CMs to resolve SYL issue )

The Shalishi Sabhas or kangaroo courts of West Bengal are infamous and notorious illegal institutions who pronounce judgements with an overtone of brutality. The kangaroo courts, that have become a real menace, have  earlier pronounced judgements on women to be raped, tied to trees, lynched and paraded naked.

The Supreme Court of India has declared such Khap Panchayats or kangaroo courts to be illegal because they often decree or encourage honour killings or other institutionalised atrocities against boys and girls. Elaborating on their opinion, the Supreme Court has previously said, “This is wholly illegal and has to be ruthlessly stamped out. There is nothing honourable in honour killing or other atrocities and, in fact, it is nothing but barbaric and shameful murder. Other atrocities in respect of the personal lives of people committed by brutal, feudal-minded persons deserve harsh punishment. Only this way can we stamp out such acts of barbarism and feudal mentality. Moreover, these acts take the law into their own hands, and amount to kangaroo courts, which are wholly illegal.”