Jaipur:
A boy and his family members from a village in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district were attacked and at least four houses belonging to them razed on the direction of a khap panchayat (caste council) after he eloped with a girl from his caste, police said on Tuesday.
Narendra Kumar, belonging to the Jatav community, eloped with a girl a week ago from Barpura village of the district, some 170 km from state capital Jaipur.
The incident came to light on Tuesday when his family members who had escaped from the village fearing for their lives approached police and registered a complaint, police said. No one has been arrested so far.
"The girl not only belonged to the same village, but also was from the same caste and gotra which proved to be a problem in their love affair. Marriages are not allowed in same gotra as the girls are considered sisters of the boys," a police officer was quoted as saying.
A meeting of the khap panchayat was held in the village when the family members from girl's side demanded action against the boy and his family.
"The panchayat asked the boy's family members to bring back the girl in three days and hand her over to her parents. The family members of the boy somehow contacted him and coaxed the couple into returning to the village," said the officer.
As soon as the girl was reunited with her family, some musclemen attacked Narendra's houses.