Jaipur, July 30: A family belonging to the local Regar community in Rajasthan's Bundi faces social boycott as the four daughters lend shoulder to their father's bier at the cremation.

The Bundi panchayat committee asked the family members to kneel down and prostrate before seeking forgiveness. When 25-year-old Meena, one of the daughters, refused on behalf of the family, the village leaders decided to punish them through ostracisation and boycott.

The incident was reported on Sunday when 58-year-old Durgashankar Tailor passed away following prolonged illness. The deceased had no son. Tailor's last wish, the kin claim, was that his bier be carried out by his four daughters.

Meena claims the locals warned them against fulfilling their father's last wish. Since they remained adamant and decided to lead the cremation, the panchayat issued an unofficial order asking villagers to refrain from attending the funeral.

When the kin went to community bathing centre after the cremation -- as the local norm prohibits the bereaved kin to take bath at home following the funeral -- they found it locked.

As per the local custom, food to the bereaved family is provided by the village on the day the death occurs. Meena, however, claims they were forced to cook food at their home since the villagers were asked by the panchayat to not to provide them with food.

Tikam Chand, the maternal uncle of the four daughters, said they appealed the panchayat to forgive the family and end the ostracisation. But they remained adamant and decided to punish us, he told reporters.

The allegations were, however, refuted by Modu Lal, ex-chairman of the Bundi municipality. Lal claimed the family had not asked for the community centre keys after the funeral. Had they approached the authorities, they would had been allowed to take a bath, he claimed.

Meanwhile, Regar community head Chandulal Chandeliya, who was not in Bundi over the past couple of days, said he would ensure there is no ostracisation of the family. Instead, he lauded the girls for their progressive approach, saying their act of lending shoulder to the bier is an "encouraging step".

The regressive incident of Bundi comes days after a panchayat in neighbouring Harpura village ordered a five-year-old girl to stay outside her house for a week as she broke a bird's egg.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 30, 2018 07:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).