By IANS
Karnal (Haryana) : An 11-day-old infant snatched from his parents following a Haryana village council’s order was recovered Sunday by police, who booked five people on kidnapping charges.
The child, Ankush, was restored to his father Pawan though the whereabouts of his mother Kavita was not yet known.
The panchayat had ordered last week that Pawan and Kavita should live separately because they were like brother and sister as they belonged to the same gotra or lineage.
Six people, including members of the panchayat, were booked Sunday on charges of kidnapping and illegal confinement.
The police went into action after Pawan registered his complaint against the panchayat Sunday evening. A police party raided a house in Karnal town to recover the baby, who had been handed over to a third party by the panchayat.
The infant was “snatched” by the panchayat last week when he was just six days old.
But the Karnal district administration and the police had earlier failed to take any action in the matter.
“Being from the same gotra, they are brother and sister. They cannot be husband and wife. We will not allow this,” a panchayat spokesman had said, justifying the taking away of the child.
The panchayat has even imposed a penalty of Rs.65,000 on Pawan for marrying Kavita.
Pawan said that he was not in a position to pay the penalty of Rs.65,000. “I am poor and even Rs.1,000 is a heavy amount for me,” he said.
The panchayat also tried to force Pawan into accepting Kavita, whom he married at Chandigarh one and a half years ago against the wishes of his family and the village, as his sister. The body wants Kavita to tie a rakhi, a traditional band symbolising the brother-sister bond, to Pawan.
“The panchayat matters have social sanction. We cannot interfere with the decision of the panchayat,” a deputy superintendent of police said earlier on condition of anonymity.
Pawan said that except for the media and some social activists, he had not received any support from the administration or police.
“I fear that some elements might try to eliminate me and my family. I want my wife and child back. Where was the panchayat when we were married for one and a half years,” he questioned.
Village residents refused to comment for fear of annoying the panchayat. The common view of most villagers was that the panchayat was right.