Khap panchayats demand status of Lok Adalats

SONEPAT (HARYANA): A Khap Mahapanchayat held here has appealed to the Centre and Haryana government to grant 'Khaps' the status of Lok Adalats as their decisions on various issues were "unanimous."

The meeting, attended by about 70 Khaps, said yesterday that they were open to government representatives taking part in such meetings and voicing their opinions in the debates.

They also demanded that marriage in the same gotra should be banned and suggested amendments to the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, a Khap member said.

This, they claimed, would keep a check on the growing number of crimes against women, which included rape and female foeticide cases in Haryana.

"Persons responsible for female foeticide should be tried under the charges of murder as number of girls in the state was decreasing," he said.

The Mahapanchayat in the same meeting had brushed aside the idea of a Khap leader that the marriageable age of girls should be brought down to 16 years, saying the suggestion was "individual in nature."