Inter-caste love story: After being forced by ‘panchayat’ to lick his spittle, youth hangs self

Agencies

December 29, 2020

Patna, Dec 29: young man was found hanging from the ceiling of his home in Bihar hours after being forced to lick his own spittle by a kangaroo court that accused him of harassing a girl he was supposedly in love with, a senior police official said on Tuesday. The incident took place in Chainpur police station area of this west Bihar district where the body of Shivshankar Gupta (22) was found hanging from the ceiling of his house on Monday night, Dilnawaz Ahmed, Kaimur district Superintendent of Police, told reporters.

According to an FIR lodged by the father of the deceased, trouble began on the intervening night of Saturday- Sunday when Gupta went to the house of the girl, who stayed nearby, to get back his mobile phone. The complainant has claimed that the girl had run away with the phone following a tiff with her boyfriend but when Gupta reached her house, her family members pounced on him alleging that he had come to molest her.

The matter, which involved families of two different castes, triggered tension in the area and, subsequently, a "panchayat" sat in judgement, pronounced the boy "guilty" and ordered him to spit on the ground and lick it by way of punishment. Crestfallen by the humiliation that he had to suffer in public, Gupta returned home with his family members, and on Sunday night, bolted the door of his room from inside while going to sleep, the SP said quoting the FIR.

He was found hanging from the ceiling next morning by family members who prised open the door when Gupta did not respond to repeated knocks. In the FIR, the bereaved father has named family members of the girl and those who sat in the self-styled "panchayat", accusing them of abetment to suicide.

No arrests have been made so far and the matter is under investigation, the SP said.

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Flight cancellations strand passengers overnight at Mangaluru Airport

News Network

December 4,2025

Mangaluru: Chaos erupted at Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) after IndiGo flight 6E 5150, bound for Mumbai, was repeatedly delayed and ultimately cancelled, leaving around 100 passengers stranded overnight. The incident highlights the ongoing country-wide operational disruptions affecting the airline, largely due to the implementation of new Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms for crew.

The flight was initially scheduled for 9:25 PM on Tuesday but was first postponed to 11:40 PM, then midnight, before being cancelled around 3:00 AM. Passengers expressed frustration over last-minute communication and the lack of clarity, with elderly and ailing travellers particularly affected. “Though the airline arranged food, there was no proper communication, leaving us confused,” said one family member.

An IndiGo executive at MIA cited the FDTL rules, designed to prevent pilot fatigue by limiting crew working hours, as the cause of the cancellation. While alternative arrangements, including hotel stays, were offered, about 100 passengers chose to remain at the airport, creating tension. A replacement flight was arranged but also faced delays due to the same constraints, finally departing for Mumbai around 1:45 PM on Wednesday. Passengers either flew, requested refunds, or postponed their travel.

The Mangaluru delay is part of a broader crisis for IndiGo. The airline has been forced to make “calibrated schedule adjustments”—a euphemism for widespread cancellations and delays—after stricter FDTL norms came into effect on November 1.

While an IndiGo spokesperson acknowledged unavoidable flight disruptions due to technology issues, operational requirements, and the updated crew rostering rules, the DGCA has intervened, summoning senior airline officials to explain the chaos and outline corrective measures.

The ripple effect has been felt across the country, with major hubs like Bengaluru and Mumbai reporting numerous cancellations. The Mangaluru incident underscores the systemic operational strain currently confronting India’s largest carrier, leaving passengers nationwide grappling with uncertainty and delays.

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