Chamarajnagar, 18 Feb

A family in Mole village of Kollegal taluk, Chamarajanagar, has allegedly been subjected to social boycott for approaching a court to resolve a land dispute, defying the diktat of local village leaders.

Prabhuswamy and his family have reportedly faced a social boycott for about a month after seeking legal intervention. Sources said he had initially appealed to village elders to settle the dispute, but turned to the courts when no action was taken. “I approached the court after the elders did not attend to my plea. I had no alternative but to seek justice through legal means,” he said.

He added that the family remained silent for nearly a month to avoid further repercussions and because they did not want to leave their ancestral village.

The family claims the boycott has made daily life unbearable. Villagers allegedly refuse to speak to them, shopkeepers deny them goods, and labourers have declined to work on their farmland. They say they have been excluded from social and religious functions, and anyone interacting with them risks penalties.

Despite approaching the police, they allege no effective relief has been provided or FIR registered.

However, Kollegal DSP Dharmendra told Salar News that no such incident had been reported and asked the family to approach him so that the matter could be addressed.

A group of villagers, requesting anonymity, expressed outrage at the village leaders’ decision, calling it inhumane. “We feel bad about the family’s suffering. Legal action must be initiated against those responsible to curb such injustices,” they said.

Social boycott, widely regarded as unjust and cruel, continues in some rural areas despite legal prohibitions. In December 2025, the Karnataka government passed a Bill criminalizing social ostracism, making such acts punishable under law.