To stop lovers eloping, village bans cell phones

Crunch meeting attended by dozens of villagers also agrees to punish those people caught eloping

Avillage court in Bihar has banned the use of cell phones for girls and boys, a move it claims will check the increasing number of elopements.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting held on Monday evening in the Mahatha village of Madhubani district, some 170km north of Patna.

At the meeting, witnesses said, villagers voiced grave concern over the rising incidents of elopements, which were earning a bad name for the village.

After much deliberation, they finally decided to ban use of cell phones for both girls and boys enrolled in schools and colleges. Those attending coaching classes have also been prohibited from using cell phones.

The meeting, which was attended by dozens of villagers, also agreed to punish those caught eloping.

Social boycott

As per the decision taken at the meeting, the families of those violating the diktat will not only face social boycott but will also have to pay a heavy monetary fine.

The meeting also authorised the local ward members to ensure the youths don’t keep cell phones with them.

Incidents of elopements have become a matter of serious concerns in Bihar, resulting in sudden boom in “honour killings”.

On Saturday, an elderly couple was beaten to death in Gaya district after their grandson eloped with a village girl in a case of inter-caste love.

Before this, a teenage girl was killed by her parents in the same district on April 5 after she eloped with her boyfriend. The two were later caught at a railway station while trying to flee to another city.