A family from the Ghadshi community made use of the newly introduced social boycott Act
Dadar-based 65-year-old Prabhakar Bhosle's family has been facing social boycott since 2010. The family, belonging to Ghadshi community in Mumbai, is the first to file an FIR in the city after the Maharashtra Prohibition of People from Social Boycott (Prevention Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2016 came into force on July 3 in Maharashtra.
The Shivaji Nagar police station registered the case against nine accused belonging to the Akhil Maharashtra Ghadshi Community's committee members. The community consists of families in the profession of playing musical instruments at wedding ceremonies. According to Bhosle, the community members boycotted him because he was unable to attend his cousin brother's funeral in May 2010.
The case has been registered under section 5 of the Act. Gangadhar Sonawane, Senior Police Inspector of Shivaji Park police station said, "This is the first such case registered under the newly introduced law in this police station. Further investigation will be conducted in the matter."
One of Prabhakar's sons was removed from a WhatsApp group related to the community because of the boycott. Bhosle said, "My family has had to face several issues because of the boycott. We needed a caste certificate for my grandson's school admission but the community refused to issue it. Since most of the community is in the same profession, we pass on orders to each other but for seven years we have been bearing financial losses."
Advocate Mugdha Dabholkar, who will be fighting the case, said, "This shows that social boycott does not happen only in rural villages but there are cases in a city like Mumbai too. Such cases will make the masses aware about the Act and people facing such discrimination should come forward to fight for their rights."
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