In Moga district’s Ghalkalan village, a woman was allegedly beaten and thrown out of her home after her son married a woman from the same village—an act that went against an unwritten rule enforced by the local panchayat.
The incident stems from a marriage that took place on May 5, when Melanath, the elder son of Tarsem Singh, wed a local woman in a court ceremony. Following their union, the couple began living elsewhere. Their decision, however, reportedly triggered hostility from the bride’s family and village leaders, including the panchayat, which had previously declared that love marriages within the village boundaries would not be tolerated.
The groom’s mother, Jasbir Kaur, was accused of supporting the couple’s decision. Fearing backlash, she had been staying at a relative’s house for nearly two months. When she returned home on July 21, she was allegedly confronted by Sukhchen Singh—husband of the village sarpanch—and members of the bride’s family. According to her family, she was physically assaulted in public, locked out of her house, and left to spend the night outside. The injured woman was later taken to a hospital.
Despite approaching local authorities, Jasbir Kaur claims no action was taken until she escalated the matter to a senior police official. She further stated that the attackers wrongly assumed she had encouraged the marriage, even though her son had not returned home since the wedding. Her husband and younger son are still living in the village home.
Kaur also alleged that on the night of the attack, a crowd of around 100 people was gathered by Sukhchen Singh, who orchestrated the public assault.
When questioned, Singh defended the village’s stance, stating that a resolution had been passed warning residents against facilitating love marriages, and promising consequences for those who defy it.
Police have yet to issue a formal statement on the incident.
