25-year-old youth commits suicide after panchayat orders him to drink girl’s urine

Shyam Sood

Rajouri, August 1

In an ‘audio message’ recorded by a married youth just before committing suicide on Saturday, he has claimed that he is taking the extreme step because the village panchayat, as a punishment, had asked him to consume the girl’s urine with whom he was alleged to have an illicit relationship.

The youth in his dying declaration has refuted the allegations, including of rape, and declared that the girl was like his sister, raising a question mark on the judgement pronounced by the self-styled village panchayat and demanding a proper police investigation. The youth has been identified as Fazal Hussain, 25, a resident of Targain village in Rajouri district. Fazal committed suicide on Saturday by jumping into Samsar Sar (lake) in the Pir Panjal mountain ranges, where Fazal's family owns pastures.

According to the audio message, which has gone viral on the social media, the deceased youth has alleged that he along with his family was being harassed by the girl’s father, Mohammad Rafiq, and his relatives by holding a panchayat at their home, which was also attended by two moulvis of Tagain and Dandote villages.

“The family levelled allegations against me for having an illicit relationship with their daughter. To authenticate their allegations, the family organised a panchayat. I insisted that they bring the girl before the panchayat but they refused. Finally, the panchayat ordered to settle the matter either by giving money to the girl’s family or by drinking her urine before the panchayat members,” Fazal said in the audio message.

He said he refused to pay the money and asked the panchayat for two days to decide on their judgement.

“To drink the girl’s urine before the panchayat was more humiliating for a real Muslim who recites the name of Allah and offers nimaz. So instead of succumbing to the panchayat’s decision, I decide to end my life,” Fazal said in the audio message.

“The body of the youth was fished out of the lake on Sunday. After legal formalities and a post-mortem, the body was handed over to the family on Monday,” said Jahangir Ahmed, Station House Officer, Budhal police station. Senior Superintendent of Police, Rajouri, Yougal Manhas, while talking to reporters on Monday, said the police had taken cognisance of the incident and started investigation.