Palghar: Family that stood up to Virar khap living out of autorickshaw

Riot control vehicle stationed at the police station

A 50-year-old whistle-blower, Umesh Vaity, who dared to stand up against the illegal parallel administration at Chikhal Dongri village in Virar West, has been on the run along with his family members for the past five days, fearing an attack by members of the caste panchayat.

Worried for his life and safety, Vaity narrowly escaped from the village along with his wife, two adult daughters, and a son in his autorickshaw in the middle of the night on November 4, and since then he has been roaming aimlessly, pining hope on the police to begin the crackdown and arrest the accused.

However, the cops are yet to begin a crackdown on the illegal administrative setup, which is extorting money from innocent villagers, controlling the personal and social behaviour of villagers, etc.

Villagers attend the meeting organised by the police and the politicians

Visibly terrified, Vaity met this correspondent along with his family members to discuss his ordeal at length. Both of his daughters were timidly silent. "Had I not fled I would have been lynched along with my family members, as the self-proclaimed panchayat members were not happy after I dialled the police emergency number to seek help," Vaity told mid-day.

Lakhs of rupees were extorted from him by the caste panchayat in the last few years, claims Vaity. "They decide which religious gurus we should follow. In case anyone doesn't agree, they impose a huge fine," he added.

Vaity said that his sister had already been ostracised and had been banned from entering the village. "Recently, she was unwell. So, I went to see my ailing sister along with my younger daughter in Kalyan. When I came back, the caste panchayat people called me and imposed a Rs 50,000 fine on us. And when I failed to pay the fine on time, they added interest to the fine and asked for Rs 1.10 lakh," recalled Vaity.

The panchayat members have moles in the village to pass on tips about the movement of any dissenter. "I am aware that Jagdish Mhatre informed panchayat members that I had gone to meet my sister. The panchayat members awarded Mhatre Rs 10,000 for the tips," Vaity told mid-day.

In the past, panchayat members had also snatched the key to his autorickshaw when he had failed to pay them the so-called monetary fine. "I had to sell off my wife's mangalsutra and pay Rs 27,500 to them, and in return, they gave me a bogus receipt and returned my autorickshaw key," he added. Vaity's wife Rameshwari said, "In the past, they had also snapped water as well as electricity connections at our home. And these utilities were restored only after we paid them the fine."

When asked why he did not approach local police in the past to complain, Vaity said, "I had thought not to mess with them as they ransack your house, burn it down, assault you mercilessly in public, and do many other horrible things that I can't even recall."

"But on November 4, everything went beyond my tolerance level, and I decided to complaint to the police. The cops came in 15 minutes after I dialled the police emergency number. But the panchayat members engaged the cops in discussion, and simultaneously, others were trying to enter my house to assault me. So, I had no other option than to escape from the village along with my family," he recalled.

Avinash Koshti, tahsildar, Vasai taluka. Pics/ Hanif Patel

"I have learned that the cops have registered an FIR against the caste panchayat members. Arnala police called me a few days ago and recorded my statement. I requested that they help me, but the cops have not taken any action on the FIR. They have not arrested anyone till date," Vaity told mid-day.

"When I requested police to give me protection in the village, the cops at Arnala police station told me that if he gave me two policemen to guard me, they would assault the cops, and later the caste panchayat people would attack me and my family members. They have asked me to wait, but for how many days will I be roaming on the road and sleeping in the autorickshaw with my family members? I need justice," he added.

"We are all completely terrified... I recently got to know that the caste panchayat people had reached Arnala village at the house of Mangla and Keval Vaity to search for me," he added. Like Vaity, there are many other families from the caste-panchayat-dominated village who are scared to enter, fearing a threat to their lives.

Arnala police station

After mid-day's cover-page story, the Palghar district administration swung into action and reached the village on Thursday evening to meet the villagers. Local politicians, too, did not miss the opportunity to make a beeline to the village. Sources in the village told mid-day that local residents were asked to keep their mobiles at home and attend the meeting at a temple, where a large number of people as well as caste panchayat members reached on Thursday evening.

Talking to mid-day, the tahsildar of Vasai taluka, Avinash Koshti, said, "After the story was published in mid-day, the administration had to check the ground reality. So, in the presence of local police and local politicians, we conducted a meeting in the village, where nearly 1000 people were present. We told the villagers that they needed to repose faith in the legal system and asked them to abolish this illegal practice of caste panchayat. The meeting started around 5:30 pm and ended at 7 pm."

"I think the local residents have agreed to it and will live together happily," Koshti said. Meanwhile, a senior official from MBVV police said, "Restoration of harmony in the village is more important at this point in time. Rest assured, all those who are afraid to enter the village due to the atrocities of the caste panchayat will soon start living happily. We are working on it, and simultaneously, the law will take its own course."

Rs 1.10 lakh
Amount of fine panchayat asked Vaity to pay