How a social boycott imposed on Pune man for inter-caste marriage ended after 3 decades

In the first case under the Maharashtra Protection of People from Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, Umesh Rudrap had lodged an FIR against 17 panchayat members of his community.

5 min readPuneUpdated: Dec 12, 2023 03:57 AM IST

Rudrap, who now works as a driver with a travel firm, said he got married on January 25, 1990, to a Buddhist girl Manju living in his neighbourhood, following a love affair. (Express Photo)

Socially boycotted for three decades by his community for marrying a woman from another caste, Umesh Chandrakant Rudrap, 56, of the Telgu Madelwar Parit Community Pune, is now leading a normal life.

Rudrap thanks the Maharashtra Protection of People from Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act passed by the Maharashtra state legislature in April 2016. The act came into force on July 13, 2017, after receiving Presidential assent. Punishment for an offence under this act includes a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh and imprisonment of up to seven years or both.

On July 17, 2017, Rudrap had lodged a complaint under this act at the Kondhwa police station against 17 members of the “caste panchayat” of the Telgu Madelwar Parit Community for allegedly imposing a social boycott on him and his family due to his inter-caste marriage.

It was the first case in the state under the Maharashtra Protection of People from Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act. Caste Panchayat members had to face arrest and were later released on bail.

As the matter went to the court, in April 2022, the caste panchayat entered into a compromise with Rudrap as per the provisions of this act. They lifted the social boycott on Rudrap and his family, residing in Shivneri Nagar in Kondhwa.

On May 7, 2022, D J Patil, the then joint judicial magistrate first class, Cantonment Court, Pune passed an order, “Case is disposed off, as compromised.”

The order stated, “…the matter is settled out of the court and he (Rudrap) is now a member of the Telgu Madelwar Parit Community. Therefore, he does not want to proceed further. Permission is granted to compound the matter. The matter is compoundable with the consent of the victim and with the permission of the court. The compromise appears legal and voluntary….”

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Facing disregard

Narrating his battle against the social boycott, Rudrap, who now works as a driver with a travel firm, said he got married on January 25, 1990, to a Buddhist girl Manju living in his neighbourhood, following a love affair.

“Soon, we were socially boycotted by the panchayat of our community. We were respected in our friend circle and neighbourhood, but faced treatment of disregard in our community, just for inter-caste marriage. We were not invited or allowed to attend any programmes like marriage, funeral of close relatives, and religious functions organised by the community members,” he said.

Rudrap said his wife was ignored when she attended any functions meant for women in the community, like the traditional “haldi kumkum” ceremony.

“Even my children were ignored by the community. So for the sake of my children, in 2009 and even later, I tendered my apology to the panchayat members and requested them to lift the social boycott on us. But there was no response. Then came the act against social boycott and I decided to use it for seeking justice,” he said.

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Filing a case

Rudrap sought assistance from the activists of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti (MANS), founded by slain anti-superstition activist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, who had protested against the practice of social boycott for several years.

On July 17, 2017, with the help of MANS activists Nandini Jadhav, Milind Deshmukh, and others, Rudrap went to the Kondhwa police station along with a dozen families from his community who had been socially boycotted and filed a complaint against the panchayat members.

And then things started changing. In April 2019, the Khadki division of Telugu Madelwar Parit community panchayat compounded with the couple it had socially boycotted due to inter-caste marriage for about 20 years, as per the provisions of the Social Boycott Act.

During a press conference, the panchayat members gave a “membership form” to the victims Ajit Ramchandra Chinchane and his wife Maya, who were socially boycotted after they got married in 1999. However, Rudrap’s case was regarding a social boycott by the Pune division of the panchayat.

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Call for compromise

Rudrap said a few days after he lodged the FIR, some panchayat members sent messages through “middlemen”, a few elderly persons in the community, that he should take the case back and they would lift the social boycott on his family. But Rudrap followed the legal procedure.

“We faced a tough time battling social boycott for about 30 years. We got success after being empowered by the law. We thank the court, police, and social activists for all the support,” said Rudrap.

“I have two children, a son and a daughter. Earlier, children from the community were felicitated if they did well in their studies. But my children were ignored after they scored well in exams. I was worried about their marriage too as community members were told they should not maintain relations with me,” he said.

“But now my children are happily married. I am glad my children and the next generations from our community would not face the problems we went through due to social boycotts,” said Rudrap.

Chandan Haygunde

Chandan Haygunde is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With over 20 years of experience in journalism, he is one of the region's most authoritative voices on crime, national security, and legal affairs. Professional Profile Specialization: He specialises covering issues related to Crime, Courts, National Security and Human Rights. He has done investigative reporting on incidents of terrorism, left wing extremism, espionage cases, wildlife crimes, narcotics racket, cyber crimes and sensational murder cases in Pune and other parts of Maharashtra. While working on the ‘Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) Fellowship on Tigers, Tiger Habitats and Conservation’ in 2012, he reported extensively on the illegal activities in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. He is at the helm of the widely read weekly series “Pune Crime Files”. He is widely recognized for his deep-dive coverage of the cases related to the Koregaon Bhima violence in Pune and the Elgaar Parishad investigation. Key Beats: His portfolio includes covering crimes mainly under the jurisdiction of Pune City, Pune rural and Pimpri Chinchwad Police, along with the sensitive cases from the state, being investigated by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Background: Before his long tenure at The Indian Express, he worked with other Marathi and English publications, giving him a unique grassroots understanding of Maharashtra's socio-political landscape. Awards and Recognition: He got the CMS PANOS Young Environment Journalist Award in January 2014 for investigative reports on illegal activities in Sahyadri Tiger Rerserve. He received the award for outstanding investigative journalism by the Lokmat group in Pune in January 2020, “Missing since 2010, Pune youth a ‘Maoist Commander’ in Chhattisgarh”, which appeared on July 9, 2019. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) In recent months, Chandan’s reporting has focused on high-profile terror case investigations, inter-state firearms racket, leopard movements in Pune city, cyber scams and hearings of the Koregaon Bhima Commission of Inquiry. 1. High-Profile crimes and terrorism cases “Techie linked to Al-Qaeda preached democracy is against Shariat” (Nov 17, 2025). Reporting on the ongoing investigation into the arrest of IT professional Zubair Hangargekar (37) from Pune for alleged terror links. “The case against Jyoti Jagtap, member of ‘Maoist front’ Kabir Kala Manch and Elgaar Parishad organiser, granted interim bail by apex court” (Nov 20, 2025) Tracking the updates in the high profile Elgaar Parishad case related to the alleged naxal activities in urban areas. “How NIA arrested doctor turned ‘ISIS recruiter’ in Maharashtra terror module case” (Nov 24, 2025) After the arrest of doctors in Delhi Red Fort blast, a report on alleged terror links of a consulting anaesthetist from a Pune hospital. “A year after loco pilot averts tragedy by spotting gas cylinder on railway track, probe still inconclusive” (Dec 8, 2025). Report on the unsolved case of a suspected sabotage incident, which could have derailed a train. “No records of Sambhaji Maharaj’s cremation available: Author, ex-IAS officer Vishwas Patil tells Koregaon Bhima panel” (Dec 1, 2025) Reporting on a sensitive issue related to the Koregaon Bhima violence. 2. Inter-state firearms racket "Pune police swoop down on ‘village of pistols’ in Madhya Pradesh; 36 detained, 50 kilns destroyed" (Nov 22, 2025) "Recce a week before, microplanning: how Pune police raided ‘village of pistols’ in MP" (Nov 24, 2025) Reporting on the illegal gun manufacturing units in Umarti village, Madhya Pradesh 3. Cybercrime & Financial Scams “Pimpri Chinchwad police arrest ‘bank account supplier’ with links to China, nationwide cyber scams" (Nov 27, 2025) An investigative look at the modus opernadi of international cyber-gangs cheating high-earning professionals across the country ‘Your case linked to Pahalgam terrorist’: Pune businessman loses Rs 1.44 crore to fraudster posing as NIA chief" (Oct 18, 2025) Report on the tricks played on cyber scammers cheating people through digital arrest frauds Signature Style: The Investigative Hit Chandan is known for his ability to cultivate deep-cover sources within the police and intelligence agencies. His writing often goes beyond the "police version" of events, providing historical context and identifying systemic lapses. He is particularly respected for his balanced reporting on sensitive communal issues and his persistent tracking of the Maoist urban-link cases, making his columns essential reading for legal experts and policymakers. X (Twitter): @chandan_pune ... Read More

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