Patna: A village Panchayat in Bihar’s Supaul district forced a newlywed couple to lick their own saliva off the ground after it ruled their love marriage as ‘illegal’.
Groom Sanjeet Kumar and bride Juli Kumari belong to Barhara village under Marauna police station of the district. Sanjeet and Juli told News18 that they were in love for a couple years but feared stiff resistance from the conservative society.
“Our love story became public and some villagers started to keep vigil on us. One day we decided to elope and marry. We both went to Patna where we tied the knot with the help of my friends,” Sanjeet told News18.
While the groom’s family accepted their marriage, the panchayat was in no mood to spare them. Village elders summoned them before the panchayat meeting last week.
“My in-laws told us to just keep silent and apologise but they publicly scolded me and my husband. We were asked to do sit-ups and at the end they forced me to spit and lick saliva off the ground,” Juli said.
The couple said they were encouraged by the state government’s anti-dowry campaign but never thought of such humiliating punishment from their own elders.
After receiving reports, Supaul Superintendent of Police Mrityunjay Chaudhary ordered an enquiry based on which a written FIR was lodged in Marauna police station.
Chaudhary said that 11 people have been booked under different sections which include among others a local JD (U) leader Amardeo Kamat.
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