The National Human Rights Commission on Tuesday directed the Haryana government to submit a report on the case of a panchayat there allegedly asking a married couple to treat each other as brother and sister.
NHRC Chairperson A S Anand, who received a complaint from the All India Democratic Women's Association regarding the incident, ordered the chief secretary, director general of police and the district authorities of Rohtak to look into the decision.
Anand also asked officials to inform the NHRC on what steps they had taken to ensure the safety of the couple -- Sonia and Rampal -- who are allegedly under threat by the villagers, an NHRC spokesperson said.
AIDWA alleged that in Asandha village in Jhajjar district, Haryana, Rampal and his pregnant wife Sonia, married for two years, were being forced to accept each other as brother and sister by the panchayat as they belonged to the same sub-caste.
It further claimed that in spite of repeated representations to the authorities, no case had been registered.
The organisation also asked the rights body to move the Supreme Court with a prayer for clear directions to arrest and prosecute "self-styled caste panchayats" operating in several states such as Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.