The Rajasthan High Court has held that diktats issued by caste and khap-style panchayats, including social boycott and fines, have no legal validity and go against the Constitution.

Calling the issue a serious social concern, a single bench of Justice Farjand Ali on Friday directed the state government to prepare a policy with a standard operating procedure to address complaints linked to social boycott.

The court was hearing 11 petitions from districts including Sirohi, Barmer, Nagaur, Balotra, Jalore and Jodhpur. The cases referred to repeated instances of coercion and exclusion by informal caste bodies.

Petitioners told the court that complaints were filed in several cases, but authorities did not take effective action. The bench noted that these bodies operate as parallel systems issuing directions without any legal authority.

It said declaring a person's 'hukkaa-paani bandh' cuts individuals and families off from community life and violates constitutional guarantees of equality, liberty and the right to life.

The order referred to findings of a court-appointed panel that recorded cases where families faced action for personal choices, including marriage decisions and public criticism of customs.

The panel also noted cases where families were fined and excluded from community networks for holding wedding processions with traditional celebrations.

The court said the guidelines must apply across districts and be clearly communicated to citizens and officials. It also noted the absence of a specific law in Rajasthan dealing directly with social boycott.

The bench suggested that the state examine a law on the lines of the Maharashtra Protection of People from Social Boycott Act, 2016, to enable prosecution and victim protection.

In its directions, the court asked police leadership to appoint a senior officer not below the rank of Additional Superintendent of Police to supervise investigations in all pending cases related to social ostracism, with a 90-day deadline for completion of probes.

It also directed each district to appoint nodal officers under the supervision of district collectors and police chiefs to receive complaints and ensure action.