Ramu, who was the resident of Gopalpur Barandi village, was a daily wage labourer whose boycott was announced by his villagers after he thrashed his pet calf few days back.

The case comes under Itiyathok police station whose SHO Vedprakash Srivastava recovered the body of Ramu on Saturday near the railway tracks. While commenting on the incident, SHO Srivastava said that it had came into the knowledge of Ramu that his fellow villagers had decided for boycotting him socially.

Ramu, who left no suicide note, is survived by his mother Cheirya Devi and three brothers.

The village Gopalpur Barandi has a majority of Brahmins, Bhumihars and few settlements form the backward castes. It is a custom in most of the north Indian villages is that the person accused of killing of cow or its progenies has to spend a whole year outside the village, living on his own. The villagers inform that if someone tries to talk to the boycotted man, that person will have to face the same consequence.

The village’s Pradhan Usha Devi’s husband Balram Tiwari spoke to the media and informed that Ramu beaten his calf with a hammer. The calf passed away couple of hours later. “Ramu came to know through the villagers that the calf died because of beating”, said Tiwari.

Tiwari said, “After a few meetings, the villagers decided to socially boycott Ramu until the Panchayat took any final decision on the matter.”

Courtesy: Two Circles
 

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The village panchayat is reported to have issued a brutal diktat that eventually led to the man being killed. First there were the ‘purification rituals’ that he was forced to undergo: forcibly made to travel to the ‘Sangam’ (of the Ganga and Jamuna) at Allahabad; tonsure his head, compelled to organise two community meals and charged a fine of Rs 500.

It was on December 9, that the calf of a cow was found dead on his farm with an empty bottle of rat poison lying nearby. The panchayat is said to have summoned Lodhi and asked him to atone for his "sin" of allegedly leaving a bottle of poison open.

Lodhi's son Dariyab claimed his father had to undergo a series of "purification" rituals. "First, he had to travel to Allahabad to take a holy dip at Sangam and tonsure his head. When he returned, he organised two community meals and paid a fine of Rs 500," Dariyab said, accusing three panchayat men of ordering further "punishment".

Two days ago, Karan Lodhi, Gondi Lodhi and Mardan reportedly asked the farmer to stand on one leg. Dariyab said he repeatedly pleaded with the three men to reduce the punishment but was overruled.

"My father was himself keen to undertake the punishment as he had been feeling low since the calf died. After three hours of suffering and constantly changing legs, he fainted. He was taken to hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival," Dariyab said.

Sub-inspector Pradip Saraf who is investigating the case, said a complaint had been lodged against unknown persons under Section 174 of the CrPC (death under circumstances raising a reasonable suspicion).

Dariyab's statement has been recorded. Once the autopsy report is out, action will be taken against those found responsible for the death, Saraf said.

Dariyab said village elders, who traditionally raise cows and trade in dairy products, had summoned the caste panchayat. It reportedly held the farmer responsible for the calf's death and directed him to take a "prayaschit snan" (bath for atonement), tonsure his head and host a lunch for community members.

Abiding by the diktat, the farmer went to Allahabad on December 13 with Dariyab and hosted two meals for villagers. "Although we thought that the matter was over, the three men of the Lodhi clan ordered further punishment which caused his death," Dairyab alleged.
 
The cause of Har Singh Lodhi's death, in Bada Malhera village of Chhattarpur district two days ago, is yet to be established. "We have registered a case and ordered a post-mortem," inspector Dharamjit Singh Patel said.
 

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