Villagers attack couple, officials, cops

ROHTAK: Almost an entire village in Mahendergarh district attempted to attack the family members of a newly-wed same-gotra couple, who they had socially boycotted. The mob did not even spare the local administration and police officials, who tried to intervene, on Thursday.
Following the incident, police registered a case against 40 residents of Syana village on charges of attacking government officials, barring them from performing their duties, disrupting peace and damaging government vehicles.
According to information, Syana village panchayat had announced to socially boycott the family of Devender Kosalia after his son Sandeep Kosalia married a girl of Bairanwas village of the district on May 3. The villagers had also tried to disrupt the marriage but the wedding was solemnized in Mahendergarh town under police protection.
While issuing a diktat, the village panchayat put restrictions on the family members from entering the village temple, getting water from the taps and even buying goods from any shop in the village.
Police officers said that a section of the villagers got a whiff that some family members of Devender including the newly-wed couple were planning to visit the village temple on Thursday on the occasion of ‘Amavasya.’
The family had sought police protection during the visit and the couple also avoided visiting the village and instead sent their uncle Rajbir and some other members to perform the religious rituals.
However, as they reached the village, the villagers barred them and even confronted the district officials including SDM Satish Yadav and DSP Vijay Jakhar who had been trying to placate the people from resorting to violence.
The villagers damaged the vehicles of the SDM, tehsildar and the block development officer after which the officials and the family members returned and additional force was sent to the village.
Kanina police station SHO Inder Singh said on Friday that the situation was under control in the village and that the booked villagers were still to be arrested.