Maharashtra passes law against social boycott

New measures: 7-year jail, Rs 5-lakh fine for guilty; trial within 6 months of filing chargesheet

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CM Devendra Fadnavis

The Maharashtra legislature Wednesday unanimously passed the Prohibition of Social Boycott Bill to end the menace of extra-judicial institutions like caste and community panchayats. The Bill, an initiative of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, makes Maharashtra a leader among the states in the country to adopt a comprehensive law to root out oppression carried out in the name of age old traditions, caste and religion.

Fadnavis said, “The Act was required in the backdrop of prevailing atrocities inflicted on people in the name of tradition, caste and community which cannot be allowed in Maharashtra. Social boycott will be dealt with an iron hand in my government. The atrocities inflicted by a handful of people in the name of ‘jaati panchayats’ or groups citing caste and community traditions will not be tolerated if it questions the dignity of a human being.”

The Act terms social boycott as a crime and says anybody indulging in it would face stern action. While asserting that existing laws were not adequate to tackle social boycott, Fadnavis said, “The comprehensive new legislation defining terms of stringent punishment, including imprisonment and penalty against those indulging in social boycott, would help us to effectively tackle the menace.”

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Citing the reasons why a separate law was needed in the state, he said, “It came to our notice there were 42 cases of social boycott in the district of Raigad alone, which was alarming.”

The draft bill framed a year ago was approved by the Cabinet on March 1, 2016. The Bill disallows social boycott of any individual or groups by caste panchayats or groups of individuals. Social boycott for reasons like inter-caste marriage, rituals of worship or any connection to lifestyle, dress or vocation will invite stringent punishment, according to the Bill.

It prohibits social boycott and says that it shall be an offence, inviting imprisonment upto seven years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh or both. The victim or any member of the victim’s family can file a complaint either to police or directly to the magistrate. To ensure time-bound results, it indicated speedy trial within six months of filing chargesheet.

To ensure monitoring, social boycott prohibition officers will be recruited to detect offences and assist the magistrate and police officers in tackling cases.

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