Bengaluru: A 46-year-old woman died by suicide after her village socially boycotted her for 10 years in Yadgir district of Karnataka, said the police on Thursday. According to the officials, the woman had returned to her village when the locals humiliated her and threatened to ostracise her relatives if they allowed her shelter in their homes. Following this, the woman jumped into the Bhima River near Joladadagi village between the evening of March 14 and the morning of March 15. Police have registered a case against five people, reportedly for forcing the woman to take the extreme step.
The First Information Report (FIR) in the matter was registered in Yadgir district based on the complaint lodged by Yellappa Suryavamshi (50), reported news agency PTI. The complainant alleged that the victim Kamalamma (46), a resident of Girinagar area in Yadgir, faced mental harassment linked to a social boycott imposed on her family. The complaint further added that their family had been ostracised by members of their community over an unverified accusation involving their son.
“A village panchayat held on September 8, 2025, had directed the family not to interact with a relative and imposed a 10-year social boycott, asking them to vacate the village,” Suryavamshi said in his complaint.
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Following the decision, the family had shifted to a rented house in Yadgir town.
However, earlier this month, when the woman returned to their native locality, a group of individuals allegedly confronted her and reiterated the boycott, the FIR said. “Despite the earlier boycott, she was again prevented from staying in the village and was subjected to continued mental harassment,” the complainant said.
The complainant further alleged that even relatives who offered shelter to the woman were threatened with similar social ostracism. “Those who gave her refuge were warned of facing a fresh boycott by convening another panchayat,” Suryavamshi alleged.
Unable to bear the alleged humiliation and pressure, the woman is said to have taken the extreme step, police said. Her body was recovered from the river on March 15 and shifted to the district government hospital mortuary in Yadgir, police said.
Based on the complaint, a case has been registered against five individuals under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), police said, adding that further investigation is underway.
(With Inputs from PTI)
