India, April 9 -- Rajasthan Police have booked 10 members of a caste panchayat at Maval in the Sirohi district for allegedly ostracising and slapping a Rs.5 lakh penalty on a man's family after wrongly blaming him for his son's death. The panchayat allegedly pressured Thanaram Gwariya to confess to his son's "murder" even as police confirmed he died in a road accident.

Laxman Singh, a local police officer, said the 10 were booked on Gwariya's complaint, and an investigation has been initiated. Gwariya accused individuals of running a parallel justice system by declaring themselves as caste leaders. He accused the panchayat members of collecting fines, enforcing arbitral rules, extortion, and imposing social boycotts. Gwariya claimed thos...