Khammam family boycotted over inter-caste marriage; villagers to be fined for visiting them

Khammam: An inter-caste marriage that led to the boycott of a family in the Khammam district has raised several questions. Villagers boycotted a family in Mandalapadu village under Penuballi mandal in Khammam after their daughter married a Dalit man from the same village eight months ago. The couple is currently living in Hyderabad.

The victim’s family has demanded that the Telangana government take appropriate action against those who boycotted them, causing them emotional distress.

According to the family, the elders who were against inter-caste marriage targeted the family after their daughter got married. The villagers started abusing and harassing the family. A letter was issued by the head of their caste, boycotting Rambabu and his brother Gopal Rao. They issued a decree saying that a fine would be imposed if anyone calls their family home. It said a fine of Rs. 2,000 will be imposed if anyone attends their family events, Rs. 1,000 will be imposed if anyone speaks to them while Rs. 10,000 will be fined for an inter-caste marriage with a boy and Rs. 20,000 for an inter-caste marriage with a girl. Messages to boycott the family were circulated in WhatsApp groups.

Rambabu and Gopala Rao have lodged a complaint at VM Banjara police station limits. The police have registered a case against 13 people under section 504 read with 34 of the IPC and section 7(1)(b)(c) of the Protection of Civil Rights Act.

Many such cases have been reported in Telangana in recent years. In May 2020, a young man, Neeraj, was stabbed in Begum Bazar, Hyderabad by five assailants on a bike in front of his father, allegedly after he married a woman from a different caste.

A 25-year-old man was hacked to death in Saroornagar over an inter-faith marriage in May 2022.